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Architects: JAJA Architects
- Area: 2500 m²
- Year: 2018
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Photographs:Rasmus Hjortshoj
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Manufacturers: Unisport
Text description provided by the architects. The former laboratory building situated at Eternitten is a fantastic setting for GAME Streetmekka Aalborg. The production building from 1963 testifies to the industrial history of the neighborhood with its raw and distinctive character, almost demanding to be conquered by urban street culture. Our main concept is to merge the informal nature of street activities into the existing laboratory building frames, creating spatial 'experiments' that inspire new connections between the many activities. Rather than separating them, an urban melting pot is created that encourages spontaneous activity and surprising events.
The laboratory building consists of two sections, originally housing different functions: The Experimental Hall and the Laboratory Wing. The original design of the sections reflects their past industrial purpose, naturally resulting in very different spaces which represent very different potentials.
With a pragmatic approach, we link the Streetmekka activities with the space that offers the necessary conditions and possibilities. The Experimental Hall with its height and spaciousness is the perfect setting for bouldering, parkour, basketball, and street soccer. The activities with practical and acoustic requirements such as the dance hall, sound studio, street kitchen and office spaces are placed in the Lab Wing. The outdoor area is organized as a gigantic streetscape with calisthenics area, parkour track, and a boulder rock. The façade of the laboratory building becomes a living canvas for street art.
Inspired by the beauty of the existing building, we have strived to preserve its industrial magic and generate an environment which invites the users to play and experiment with new forms of movement, social meetings, and surprising happenings. Echoing the purpose of its past, our aim has been to create a thriving and dynamic ‘street laboratory’!
