DAV Kletterzentrum, Augsburg

The sport of climbing is booming: climbing and bouldering are all the rage. In Germany, there are around 500,000 recreational climbers and ambitious athletes. Since the International Olympic Committee’s decision to include climbing as a new sport at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the demand for professional, weather-independent training facilities has been growing. In Augsburg, the architectural firm Ott, in collaboration with the DAV Climbing and State Training Center, created the first combined facility for both recreational and elite sports under one roof. 

Inside, the architects consistently carry forward the concept of creating an atmospheric environment for climbing. Daylight plays a key role in this. But how do you bring light into rooms whose walls are used for climbing and must therefore remain windowless? The focus shifts upward, to the roof above the artificial rock face. With cleverly placed continuous rooflights and continuous rooflights from INDU LIGHT, the architects establish a connection to the sky. Daylight streams down onto the climbing walls. As if they were outdoors, the climbers scale the walls toward the clouds.

Particularly effective is the 21-meter-long and one-meter-wide “Proline 26” continuous rooflight above the highest climbing wall, which extends across all floors of the building. It enhances the canyon-like effect of the 1,543-square-meter climbing area and brings natural brightness into the hall. There are around 200 routes to choose from here. The galleries opposite, in front of the new training and social rooms, offer optimal conditions across three floors for beginners and children to catch a glimpse of the advanced climbers and pros in the main hall.

Daylight is also essential in the bouldering area, where climbers scale walls without ropes. Here, the “Libra” skylights—measuring 120x240 cm and partially openable—provide light and fresh air for the activity. The openings set rhythmically in the roof bathe the bouldering area in glare-free daylight and convey the feeling of being very close to the sky. Studies show that daylight enhances performance and concentration. This is just as important in sports as it is in the workplace. “For athletes, the way light refracts on the wall is also a key factor in assessing the difficulty level,” architect Ott explains. With a clever combination of natural and artificial light, the architects effectively highlight the texture of the artificial rock walls.

The atmospheric setting begins right in the entrance area and at the bar. The sun-drenched “Biwak” café, with a view of the outdoor climbing area, provides a relaxing atmosphere. Four-square-meter Libra skylights provide daylight deep into the room. In the fully glazed cafeteria, the round light rings on the ceiling serve primarily as design elements. However, additional skylights are also used for purely functional purposes. Above the stairwell, the Libra NRWG stairwell set, featuring a 120x240 cm skylight, provides light, ventilation, and smoke extraction. And the mandatory roof access hatch is also a skylight from INDU LIGHT.