Brut Rock | Spring 2016 | University of Pennsylvania | Rock Climbing Gym | New York, NY
Collaborator: Joud Baothman
Critic: Kutan Ayata
Critic: Kutan Ayata
Rock climbing has evolved from an anarchist practice restricted to the grounds of Yosemite, to a ‘sport’ where climbers compete against one another, and finally to a radical misuse of urban space via parkour and bildering. It becomes clear that there is not just one angle to examine when designing a rock climbing gym. It also presents an interesting architectural problem as both program and formal attributes cannot be divorced from one another; any surface treatment is fair game for climbing. This proposal looks to utilize an existing architectural element and estrange it from its context, in particular pre-cast concrete stairs hung on the exterior.
By altering existing stair-nosing profiles, as well as the rise and run, the stairs move from what we might deem as a normative pre-cast stair, to something that glitches in appearance. This system can produce a variety of climbing intensities, but its aesthetics also play into the narrative of urban climbing. The exterior of this building presents itself as an “ancient monument from the future” stained from age, prior use unknown or lost, and overgrown with dead and matted grass - ready to be misused as radically as possible.
The interior environment deals more with natural versus synthetic environments, adhering to aesthetics of both decay of the manmade and artifice. This is done by subtly altering a pattern of cracks that may seemed to have occurred due to decay, moving to moments of symmetry and alignment. Ultimately, some cracks align themselves horizontally as risers, allowing steps to emerge as seating to watch the activity. At other times, these cracks provide surface along which climb inside.
Model Photos
