Movement Gym Climbs into RiNo

The former duct and sheet metal factory built in 1947 at 3201 Walnut is climbing to greater heights, thanks to OZ Architecture’s adaptive reuse expertise.

Rebecca Stone and her team redesigned 50,000 square feet of the industrial space just two blocks from the OZ office for two Boulder-based brands making a home in the RiNo neighborhood. The main tenant is Movement Climbing + Fitness, which will make up over 40,000 sf of the space. OZ worked to salvage the bowstring-truss roof on the north side, the tongue-and-groove wood ceilings and concrete floors within. While Movement has other locations in Boulder and Denver, the RiNo location will be dedicated to bouldering. It will have more linear feet of bouldering walls than any other bouldering gym in the US. The gym will also offer fitness and wellness components such as weights, yoga and group fitness.

To properly outfit the project, OZ Architecture collaborated with nationally-recognized climber and Boulder architect Jamie Logan for the interior. Ceiling skylights will flood the space with natural light and Movement’s signature stadium seating will allow for great viewing, especially when hosting national competitions. Movement owners Mike and Anne-Worley Moelter are deeply involved in the project, and keen to bring a cool, approachable, and community-oriented gym to the neighborhood with bouldering opportunities for everyone, from kids to experienced adults.

The Moelters purchased the entire building at 3201 Walnut, which spans an entire block in RiNo. The south side of the building will host another creative, locally grown tenant called Improper City, a concept from the owners of Rayback Collective in Boulder, who were “inspired by the very land on which it sits”. OZ worked closely with the owners to develop their concept which will provide a bar space, flexible co-working space, rentable event space, a coffee shop, live music, and Denver’s largest outdoor patio to-date. The owners are paying it forward and working with local vendors and fabricators for the build out. Improper City will feature rotating shifts of multiple food trucks in their adjacent outdoor patio space, which will be open throughout all seasons.

This intentional tenant mix of tenants drives local, community-oriented opportunities that help preserve the outdoors and active lifestyles, and promote the artistic, small-business mentality that thrives in RiNo.

Movement Climbing + Fitness RiNo and Improper City are aiming to open in summer of 2018. Read more about it here in the Denver Post.