Work hard, play hard. New lounge is designed to help players (employees) relax and unwind before and after training (work) to help maximise performance levels
Norwich City football club has created a brand new purpose ‘players lounge’ at its Colney Training Centre facility, to help players feel ‘more at home’, whilst at work.
The Championship side teamed up with design company Bluespace for the design, transforming an old ‘conservatory’ into a state of the art area for players to wind down, with the space featuring contemporary furniture, flat screen TV’s and games consoles amongst others.
We want hard and professional work but you have to keep in mind they are human beings
The club’s head coach Daniel Farke (pictured, centre left) said the new lounge is already having a positive impact on the mood and mentality of his playing squad.
“It’s brilliant and Bluespace have done an extraordinary job,” said Farke. “The lads now have a space to relax, and we’re really happy to have this opportunity. We want hard and professional work but you have to keep in mind they are human beings.
“There is a lot of load and it’s important to have a familiar space where they can calm down that feels like home.”
One of the times when the room is set to be used most is between double training sessions, with the players encouraged to use the space to unwind.
Outlining the benefits, Norwich’s head of performance Chris Domogalla (centre, right) explained: “When the players work hard, they need a space to recover. I totally believe that work plus rest equals success.
“We take care of the physical training and the load but we also wanted them to have a space where they can relax mentally and physically. It will have a huge impact for the players from the mental side.”
Launched in 2002, Bluespace has managed projects across retail, laboratories, schools, colleges, universities and offices.
“We really wanted to move the room away from having a conservatory feel,” Its MD Jonathon Simpkins commented.
“Every project is different because every client is different and every brief is different. The spotlight was on because we’re a new supplier to the club.
Bryony Southon, interior designer at Bluespace added: “Expectations were high, so we had to make sure we delivered. I started off by making plans and 3D visuals of the space to bring it to life.
“It was a project I really wanted to work so the players had a great area to chill out between sessions. It’s been really well received and we’ve had some great feedback.”
