Adventure Rock, a community climbing gym located in a repurposed industrial warehouse on Milwaukee’s south side, exemplifies the transformative potential of adaptive reuse in architecture. Originally an introverted, utilitarian structure from the 1940s, the warehouse was slated for demolition until a feasibility study revealed it could be salvaged and reimagined as a bouldering center. The project completely gutted the building down to its structural bones to convert the cramped production and storage areas into an open, undivided space, facilitating its new purpose as a climbing gym. This reinvention turned a functionally obsolete building into a vibrant social hub that activates the sidewalk and engages with the surrounding community both visually and programmatically.  

Operating under severe budget constraints while aspiring to create a new neighborhood beacon, the design of Adventure Rock features strategically placed architectural interventions to enhance its street presence and maximize natural light. A significant portion of the perimeter wall was removed and replaced with a tall glass curtainwall angled to create an oblique colonnade, mediating the transition from exterior to interior. Wrapping the ceiling from the main entrance to its narrow end, a bright-red plane folds down and turns into a continuous horizontal sill along the glass curtainwall, guiding visitors from the entry to the check-in counter inside. 

The gym’s support program ― community classrooms, changing rooms, lockers, bathrooms, a weight room, and a yoga space ― are positioned along the sides and rear, framing a central open hall dominated by the sculptural climbing vessel. Visible from the street through the glass curtainwall, this climbing structure serves as the gym’s main signage, attracting attention and illuminating the sidewalk at night with the dynamic silhouettes of climbers, establishing Adventure Rock as a recognizable and engaging community landmark.

“This project really transformed the street presence. The bouldering wall is such a unique form, so to have the glass facade show off this sculptural object inside, which is also functional, was an effective way to activate the street. There’s special skill and accomplishment that comes from adopting a previously ‘not beautiful’ building.”

Corey Squire, AIA (2024 Design Awards Juror)