urban think tank's vertical gym in venezuela revitalizes region

urban think tank’s vertical gym in venezuela revitalizes region
image © U-TT archive  

architects at urban think tank have managed to insert the beneficial programming of public outdoor recreational areas in the space-hungry low-income urban area of el dorado, a deeply needy area of venezuela’s dense capital city of caracas. targeted at the area’s youth, the pre-fabricated vertical gym offers 4 layered levels of athletic facilities and, combined with 3 more stories of municipal offices and spaces for local businesses, clocks in at a total of 7000 square meters. while the vertical gym in sucre enjoys the title of the largest sports complex in the country, the potential  effect of the consolidated facility on the area is even more remarkable–an earlier iteration of the gym opened in santa cruz in 2004 is credited with a 30 drop in crime rate in the region. 

the architecture posits a solution to the problem of the spatial scarcity and the need for conscious programming with a streamlined build-time and highly considered tectonics. the building is flexible enough to fit within or atop existing structures (this version of the gym was built above an extant subterranean parking structure) while still remaining a distinct mark on the urban fabric with polychrome and translucent paneling towering above the modest homes. the facility can be assembled and erected in 3 months, making it a replicable, ideal model for other impoverished areas lacking the elevating sports and community program. two more vertical gyms are underway in santa cruz del este and los teques.

the effects and intentions of the project are further explained by the architects 

video © urban think tank films 

first vertical gym in venezuela unveiled by urban think tank 
image © U-TT archive  

first vertical gym in venezuela unveiled by urban think tank 
image © U-TT archive  

first vertical gym in venezuela unveiled by urban think tank 
image © U-TT archive  

first vertical gym in venezuela unveiled by urban think tank 
image © U-TT archive  

first vertical gym in venezuela unveiled by urban think tank 
image © U-TT archive