Floating Gym in Paris Designed to be Powered by Human Energy

floating gym paris carlo ratti associati

Want to work up a sweat while cruising down a river? If so, you’ll love Carlo Ratti Associati‘s new project, The Paris Navigating Gym. The Italian architecture firm has dreamed up a floating gym, which when powered by human energy, floats down the Seine in Paris. The 65-foot vessel bobs downstream, taking in the Parisian sites, as energy from workout enthusiasts powers the boat.

Technogym‘s ARTIS exercise machines harvest energy, and users can track their output. Furthermore, they can see the environmental conditions of the river, captured in real time by sensors built into the vessel. It’s a true interactive experience that plays on the historic Bateaux Mouches ferries that have been in use on the Seine since the early 20th century.

“The Paris Navigating Gym investigates the potential of harnessing human power,” Carlo Ratti, founder of the firm, shares. “It’s fascinating to see how the energy generated by a workout at the gym can actually help to propel a boat. It provides one with a tangible experience of what lies behind the often abstract notion of ‘electric power.’ ”

For now, the Paris Navigating Gym, which was developed in collaboration with the non-profit architecture group Terreform ONE and the urban regeneration institute URBEM, is just an idea. But we can’t think of a better motivation to hit the gym than taking in the marvels of Paris.