Oliver Trepte: Architecture of sport climbing – architectural, urban planning and monument preservation aspects of a trend sport (GER)
Climbing is omnipresent. However, the sport’s new ubiquity manifests itself less as an activity in a natural environment and more as a cultural technique in artificial spaces. To date, research into trend
sports has been dominated by movement science, sports history, psychology and philosophy. In contrast, the phenomenon has yet to be scientifically analysed from an architectural, urban planning
and heritage conservation perspective.
Architecturally, a long and exciting history of the development of human-made climbing spaces can be observed: This ranges from the first climbing towers (Kletterturm Teufelsberg Berlin from 1970), to early climbing halls (Kletterhalle Seltmanns Weitnau from 1993), to the boom in bouldering halls as an interim use (Bouldercity Dresden from 2003), to large and spectacular new buildings (Blockhelden Erlangen from 2022). In terms of monument preservation, there is the question of the conservation value of historic climbing architecture, which is sometimes already affected by heritage loss as a result of the current wave of modernisation (Freiluft-Kletterfelsen Thalkirchen München from 1989, demolished in 2023), as well as the question of how to deal with monuments when they are converted, for example with regard to climbing spaces incorporated into former sacred spaces (Kletterkirche Mönchengladbach, opened in 2010). In terms of urban planning, questions of urban and neighbourhood development as well as aspects of urban marketing and identity creation are important, with large climbing centres becoming meeting places for the international climbing scene, renowned competition venues and offers for popular sports in equal measure (Kletterzentrum Innsbruck von 2017).
Climbing architecture forms a specific building typology. Artificial climbing spaces are in no way inferior to natural climbing rocks in terms of their significance. On the contrary, bouldering and climbing halls are significantly changing the sport of climbing and establishing a new form of social sports practice in an urban context.
Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Marienstraße 13c, Hörsaal D
Beginn: 18.45