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GAME StreetMekka Viborg
GOAL no. 3, 5, 10, 12, 16, 17
In a generic industrial building from the late 1960s and 70s in the city of Viborg, StreetMekka provides a setting for street culture, art and sports.
Physical inactivity in children and young people can lead to lifestyle diseases and obesity, as well as negative social consequences. This development may be countered by doing sports or other physical activities that increase fitness and create opportunities to meet people, socialize and build communities.
The process of converting a former industrial area close to Viborg’s city centre into a natural extension of the centre and an independent urban district included a special effort to build the identity of the new area. To promote this initiative, Viborg Municipality offered a disused industrial building to GAME, a non-profit organization that promotes social change through street culture and physical activity. The organization teaches young people to become ‘playmakers’ – trainers who act as role models in their own urban communities.
The building has now been transformed into a centre for street sports, culture and arts. Here, locals can engage in art forms such as graffiti, street sculpture, installation art, animation, videos, music, DJ’ing, rapping, light and sound.
The original building is a generic factory building from the late 1960s and 70s constructed from prefabricated concrete panels. The architect stripped the factory of all secondary walls and installations to create a huge open space with high ceilings perfect for high-flying skateboard tricks. Full-width industrial windows at each end open the building to the surrounding landscape and create a fluent experience of the inner and outer playgrounds and sports fields.
This project demonstrates how a disused industrial building can be activated and act as a catalyst for urban development, sports, art and culture.
Project details
Where: Nellikevej 2, 8800 Viborg
Opening year: 2018
Client: GAME, Viborg Municipality, in collaboration with the philanthropic association Realdania, The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities, TrygFonden, and The Nordea Foundation.
Architects and advisors: EFFEKT (main), BOGL (landscape), Beaver Concrete, Jonathan Linde (Parkour), Bjørn Iisager (Bouldering), Lars Pedersen (Street Art) and Nørlum (Digital Art & Animation), Thomas Andersen A/S (contractor) and Rambøll (engineer)