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Hollaway’s F51, the first multi-story skatepark, looks to build positive support for the local youth culture

2022-03-08T18:38:00-05:00

The homegrown regeneration of a once-neglected industrial area on the edge of Kent, England is underway after Hollaway Studio revealed plans for a dynamic new “layered” public skatepark called F51.

Billed as a full-tilt “adrenaline building,” the three-story structure includes a boxing gym and rock climbing wall in addition to the skateparks and was commissioned by the local Roger De Haan Charitable Trust to provide area youths with the “freedom and the opportunity to push both physical and mental boundaries within a safe space away from screens.”

Flow Floor. Image courtesy Matt Rowe © F51

Located in the heart of the seaside community’s Creative Quarter, Hollaway’s collaboration with renowned skatepark designers Maverick will replace an existing facility with a new tiered experience that allows users to utilize the space in a top-down way that increases in intensity as their skills and abilities build.

Bowl Floor. Image courtesy Matt Rowe © ...

World's tallest climbing wall heading to BIG's CopenHill

2020-05-20T11:56:00-04:00

Rising 85 meters high and 10 meters wide, the new climbing wall at the BIG-designed CopenHill is due to open this year and brings the residents of Copenhagen a climbing experience they'd never have otherwise. While designed as a traditional climbing wall, the routes get more difficult the higher one climbs. The experience is only open to "multi-pitch" certified climbers who have the proper experience and skill level to scale the wall safely.

Christophe Benichou designs extreme balconies for extreme climbers

2019-12-06T18:12:00-05:00

The Verdon Gorge is one of the most popular climbing destinations in France. As climbers ascend the limestone cliff walls of the canyon they are able to look down upon the Verdon River that shoots through the void. With over 1,000 feet to scale, climbers are likely to want a place to rest and regroup along the way. That's where Christophe Benichou Architectures comes in.

Verdon Balconies. All renderings via Christophe Benichou Architectures

Called Verdon Balconies, the group has conceived a theoretical resting space for climbers of the gorge. "At the heart of this vertical universe, suspended platforms offer a welcome horizontal rest. They can welcome climbers for a simple break or for the night, basically sheltered from the wind and the falls of stone," the studio writes about the project. The structures are entirely metallic, offering a light minimalist product for the fatigued seeking refuge.

Another free climber scales London's Shard skyscraper

2019-07-08T14:39:00-04:00

A free climber has scaled the Shard, one of the tallest buildings in Europe. [...] Onlookers posted footage of the climber, who, according to the Daily Mirror, made most of the ascent without ropes or suction cups.

"Police were called at 5.15am on Monday 8 July following reports of a free climber on the Shard. Emergency services attended and the man went inside the building where he was spoken to by officers. He was not arrested," The Guardian quotes a section of the Metropolitan police report from this morning.

The daredevil free climber has been identified as 19-year-old George King who shares images of risky free climbs on his Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram Freesolo the shard. 45mins. A lot of misinformation about suction cups in the media at the moment. Here is a little snippet video. Enjoy I was thirteen and on a school trip when I first laid eyes on The Shard. I felt an immediate passion to climb it - the same type of passion I want to the world to feel. In the past I’ve been called a daredevil, an adrenaline junkie, a reckless teenager and much more. I’ve always found that these names come from those who are ignorant or misunderstood about what I real...

Judge Punishes Colorado's Aspen Art Museum Climbers

2014-10-03T17:16:00-04:00

Of course, the Aspen Art Museum is far more inviting than most edifices when it comes to climbing. The museum exterior is built from Prodema, a composite made of wood and paper pulp, bound by resin, and coated in a wood veneer. The long woven strips that encase the building are placed at regular intervals, creating a ladder-like structure that almost calls out to be scaled.