This project explored an indoor & outdoor rock climbing facility in Canal Park, located at the western end of Canal Street on Manhattan's West Side, as part of a proposal for an international competition. I approached this as part of the recreational activity chain that's been developing along the waterfront, with the regeneration of the Island's western edge. My central inquiry focused on the aesthetic of such an artificial construct and the formal & material specificity of its assembly.

The proposal is first experienced from the surrounding urban environment as a mass of bellies hovering above the site on a plinth, allowing passage underneath to climb. The bellies bulge and kiss each other, creating a continuous floor plan that connects the rock climbing gym. These bellies combine to create outdoor climbing and bouldering that continues up to the edges of the building. Above, ceilings become ideal for large skylights that let light penetrate the large areas within. This project emerged from my engagement with both the program and site at various scales throughout the design process. I considered physically smaller-scale elements, like material characteristics, simultaneously with larger considerations like form and urbanity.