An additional strategy aims to develop a complementary program: a plaza that makes even more public the already public building. Additionally, a small retail space economically support instructors that volunteer at the gym. The plaza is around two-hundred square meters and is protected by a cantilevered structure that provides shade and extends the use of this space even when the gym is closed. The plaza also performs as an extension of the interior space of the building when the doors are open – each one of these four openings of 3.8 by 3.8 meters. Translucent panels above the boxing ring and a hanging box concentrating light provide a dramatic effect on the boxer’s confrontation area; this gesture aims to evoke the old marquees. On the second level, a weightlifting area and a terrace for private training complete the architectural program.
In order to add value to the construction process and leverage the social profile of this project, Urbánika invited the photographer Guadalupe Campos to capture construction workers (both masons and foremen), as well as users and coaches. This documentation project aims to acknowledge participants that are usually anonymous.
Gimnasio de Box Riberas, Chihuahua, México
Program: boxing gym
Architects: Urbánika (Federico Campos & Oscar Chávez)
Collaborators: Leoncio Ceballos, Ana Lucia Lozoya, Humberto Mendoza, Adriana Baca, Lorena Méndez
Client: Municipio de Chihuahua / Instituto Municipal de Cultura Física / CONADE
Area: 659 sqm
Completion: 2013