Renovation/Adaptive Re-use

Macon Rocks

Macon, GA

A three-story building with a brown facade houses Macon Rocks Climbing + Fitness. Double glass doors, red car in front, clear sky.
A sign above a doorway reads Macon Rocks Climbing + Fitness with a logo of green mountains and climbing hold on tan. Beige building.
A modern building with large windows and a sign reading Macon Rocks Climbing + Fitness above the entrance, on a sunny street with utility poles and a sidewalk.
Three-story brick building with large windows and metal awning beside a gray building, red car parked in front, power lines above.
A corner view of a brick building with large windows, utility pipes, a blue recycling bin, bike route sign, and wires under clear sky.
Four vehicles are parked by a tall, worn brick building with a black metal top. Greenery and a hill are behind it under blue sky.
Indoor bouldering gym with colorful holds on angled wooden walls, thick black mats, large windows, and exposed brick walls.
An indoor rock climbing gym with tall colorful climbing walls, padded floors, big windows, and a mezzanine under industrial lights.
Indoor rock climbing gym featuring padded floors, vibrant climbing holds, metal railings, an upper-level staircase, and bright lighting.
Indoor rock climbing gym with gray padded floors, colorful holds on angled walls, stairway to upper level, wood-paneled ceiling.
Indoor rock climbing gym with tall walls, colorful holds, a climber in the center, a belayer below, and bright high ceilings.
settings
settings
slider settings settings

Project Overview

A true adaptive reuse project, the original building was constructed in the early 20th century as a lodge for the Macon chapter of Free & Accepted Masons. Portions of the building were in complete disrepair, including a section of which remained only as four walls, concrete floors and no roof.  The opportunity to enclose this space and utilize its newly created volume as a rock-climbing gymnasium shows the power of potential energy in design.

A new structural steel stair was created to connect multiple levels with access to bouldering, climbing and climber prep areas, along with a member workout facility. The entire climbing infrastructure was designed, modeled, manufactured off-site, then shipped to the site in parts for installation. The result is a striking contrast between the building’s structural rigidity and the organic form of the climbing walls.

Awards

Commercial Renovation – Historic Macon Foundation

Back To Main