Danish architecture firm EFFEKT has unveiled a design to transform an abandoned roundhouse train depot into a multifunctional centre that will accommodate activities including skateboarding, street dance, DJing, street art, and basketball.
Located in Esbjerg, Denmark, the former locomotive maintenance shed is a relic of 20th century industrial architecture and is one of the city’s oldest buildings.
EFFEKT is working on restoring the structure’s historical layout and will arrange the assortment of new indoor and outdoor spaces around a sunken hollow amphitheatre, originally designed to hold the train turntable.
Five ‘Mekka’ halls will encircle the amphitheatre, each with a distinct title: Concrete, Asphalt, Brick, Lounge, and Dance Mekka.
The halls vary in size and height but all connect to the central space through floor-to-ceiling openings, which also stream in natural light to reduce reliance on artificial lighting.
The hybrid centre is one of three facilities proposed in Denmark by non-profit organisation Realdania, which plans to take advantage of the decline of industry in cities by transforming abandoned warehouses into street culture hubs.
StreetMekka Esbjerg is currently under construction and is expected to open in winter 2015.
Courtesy Inhabitat and EFFEKT
