The Front at South Main

The Front at South Main is an urban lifestyle climbing gym, fitness center, and community hub based in Millcreek, UT. The facility is in a neighborhood that contains an active residential community, commercial spaces, and a number of fabricators, fixers and makers in the surrounding blocks. The Front nods to the industrial surroundings with a rigorous structural steel frame that provides an open and flexible interior space. Climbing walls are highlighted as free-standing sculptural objects within the open shell, allowing for layers of connection. The transparent ground level engages the active urban environment, creating a dialogue between the pedestrian environment and indoor climbing, and a large urban porch cantilevers over the entry, providing space for gathering and lingering.

The rectangular plan consists of a large open ground floor with retail space and climbing walls for both bouldering and sport climbing. The two levels above - a rectilinear ring around the tall climbing walls - contain a generous social space and small cafe in addition to cardio and strength training spaces, dedicated climbing training areas, and additional bouldering walls. The floors are suspended from the roof beams to allow for a column-free ground floor, and contribute to the tectonic expression of the structure.