Tech

The world's biggest bouldering gym is inside a former produce processing plant — and it's gorgeous

Melia Robinson

2016-03-09T17:50:00Z

What's been called the biggest bouldering gym in the world opened in Austin, Texas, a few months back, and it's catching the attention of climbers and designers alike.

Most bouldering facilities look relatively similar. Worn, greyish blocks jut out from the walls, and the floor is blanketed with blue exercise mats reminiscent of sixth-grade gym class.

The Austin Bouldering Project, designed by Dylan Johnson of DJA Architects and furnished by interior designer Lilianne Steckel, is a work of art. Energetic pops of color, skylights, and industrial details make it look more like the inside of an Urban Outfitters catalogue than a place to break a sweat.

We spoke with Steckel about how she brought this beautiful bouldering gym to life.

As you enter through the roll-up garage door fronts, it's immediately clear the Austin Bouldering Project is unlike any climbing gym on Earth. It's breathtaking.

The Austin Bouldering Project is housed in a former produce processing plant, which Steckel says inspired the "slightly refined industrial details," like the steel railings and red oak wall cladding.

"I have had a love affair with wood for many years," she says, citing its rustic quality. "By presenting it in a crisp modern way, it can become more refined."

Wood really is everywhere, adding warmth to the industrial nature of the gym.

The bouldering demographic is mostly male, so Steckel incorporated a variety of plants, textures, fabrics, and colors to create a welcoming, gender-neutral atmosphere.

Even the shower room radiates with sunshine yellow hues.

The 23,000 square feet of climbing surfaces are as vibrant as the lobby, which Steckel credits to the architect, Dylan Johnson, and the gym's founders.

The climbing holds pop off the walls in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, which correspond with the difficulty of the climbing route.

The climbing routes are rotated every seven weeks, creating 250 different configurations. Climbers will never get bored.

Three-dimensional shapes are arranged in playful patterns on the walls, adding a challenge for climbers to route around.

"We wanted to keep everything feeling intentional, continuous, and not static," Steckel says. "You could wander and weave throughout the building and the ... colors flow with you."