Modern megacities are gradually changing the perception of the working environment. Today the office is no longer only a place for business meetings and negotiations, but also a full ecosystem for life: with restaurants, services, recreation areas and sports infrastructure.
However, even in one of the most developed business districts in Russia — “Moscow City” — sports still remain a scarce element of the urban environment.
Muscovites are increasingly engaging in sports
According to the city authorities, interest in physical activity in the city continues to grow steadily.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin noted that today 6.8 million Muscovites out of 13.3 million residents of the capital regularly engage in sports. This is more than half of the city’s population.
At the same time, research shows that the potential for growth is even higher. According to surveys of office workers:
- about two thirds of Moscow residents believe they could exercise more often
- the key factor for this is the availability of sports infrastructure near the workplace
This is why developers are increasingly considering fitness facilities as an important part of the office ecosystem.
“Moscow City”: 150 thousand people and only about 20 sports facilities
Despite its status as the largest business center in the country, sports infrastructure in “Moscow City” is still relatively limited.
According to real estate market experts:
- about 150 thousand people live and work in the business district
- there are only about 20 sports facilities
- there is only about 0.1 sq. m of sports space per resident and employee
For comparison: the recommendations of the Ministry of Sports suggest at least 33 sports halls per 100 thousand residents in cities of federal significance.
An additional imbalance is created by the structure of commercial areas.
The total area of retail spaces in the towers of “Moscow City” is approximately 59.7 thousand sq. m, of which:
- more than a third is occupied by restaurants and cafes
- a significant share is occupied by shops and services
- sports facilities occupy only about a quarter of the space
Thus, despite the developed infrastructure for dining and leisure, there is a noticeable shortage of spaces for sports activities.
A new boost: a large fitness center in iCITY
The situation may begin to change in the near future.
In mid-2026, the opening of a new fitness club XFIT ONLY iCITY is planned in the business district, which will be located in the office complex iCITY.
The club will occupy three floors of the building and will become one of the largest sports venues in the district.
The area of the facility will be about 3,000 sq. m.
According to the developer’s representatives, the project is designed to balance the infrastructure of the business center.
“Traditionally, most retail spaces in ‘Moscow City’ are occupied by cafes and restaurants, while service facilities are noticeably fewer. The new fitness club will strengthen the infrastructure for residents and employees,” the developer’s representatives note.
A new generation of fitness
The concept of the future club goes far beyond the classic gym.
The project includes:
- a spacious area for strength and functional training
- a panoramic swimming pool
- golf simulators — technological complexes that imitate playing on a real field
- wellness spaces with ice baths
- personal training zones
- spa and recovery practices
- aesthetic medicine spaces
- a restaurant with dietary and signature cuisine
The training infrastructure will be equipped with equipment from leading global manufacturers, including high-precision professional-level exercise bikes.
According to XFIT representatives, the project is conceived as “a new generation of premium fitness architecture”, combining sport, recovery and a wellness environment for people working under conditions of high intellectual workload.
Sport as part of the office environment
An important feature of the iCITY complex will be the integration of sports infrastructure into the overall architecture of the office quarter.
In addition to the fitness center, the following are provided here:
- a landscape park with an area of about 5.9 thousand sq. m
- a circular running track 448 meters long
- spaces for outdoor training
This concept reflects a modern trend: business districts are gradually transforming into multifunctional urban spaces, where people can not only work but also exercise, relax and spend time outside the office.
iCITY Towers
The iCITY complex includes two towers:
- Space Tower — 258 meters
- Time Tower — 147 meters
The total office area is about 136 thousand sq. m.
The project is located near key transport hubs:
- MCD “Testovskaya”
- metro “Shelepikha”
- MCC “Shelepikha”
The complex received the environmental certificate “Clover” Gold level and is equipped with modern smart building management systems.
A new stage in the development of the business center
The development of sports infrastructure is becoming an important part of the evolution of “Moscow City”.
If in the early years the district was formed primarily as a concentration of offices and restaurants, today developers are increasingly talking about creating a full-fledged urban environment.
The emergence of large fitness spaces, parks, running routes and wellness centers may gradually change the structure of the business district — making it not only a place to work but also a comfortable space for life and a healthy lifestyle.
Projects such as the new club in iCITY may become the first step toward forming a new sports infrastructure for Moscow’s business center.
Related materials:
Padel centers of Moscow and Moscow City: a new vector for the development of sports spaces
