EFFEKT transforms vacant factory into indoor streetscape and skatepark

copenhagen-based architecture firm EFFEKT transforms a vacant industrial windmill factory in viborg, denmark into the vibrant indoor streetscape, ‘streetmekka.’ the project uncovers the secluded building, converting the lofty central space into a culture house for street sport, street art and street culture, housing facilities for such self-organized sports as basketball, parkour, skate, and bouldering, as well as maker labs. this new volume is wrapped in a translucent skin with gaping openings toward the exterior, introducing an airy and welcoming atmosphere to the once inward-looking, derelict structure. the interior concrete surfaces are offered as an immense canvas for local visual artists to display and project their art.

all images by rasmus hjortshoj

the design by EFFEKT was the winning proposal of a 2017 competition hosted by viborg municipality and GAME. the studio worked with BOGL landscape, rambøll, thomas andersen A/S and a group of street sport and street culture specialists. the project was developed with the mission to empower the local youth and create lasting social change through street-sports. as streetmekka is for those who want to participate, create, hang out, or observe, there is designated space for an immense range of program under one roof. the team at EFFEKT believes that coexistence breeds new synergies and new social relations, exposing visitors to new types of activity they might never have realized existed.

the maker labs and workshop areas enable the users to continuously develop and reconfigure the space. streetmekka viborg is not static in terms of program nor in physical appearance. it continuously evolves with the inclination of the occupant in both the short term — due to the animated facades and the street art — as well as the long term as new programs are added and old ones removed. the designers took advantage of the original industrial structure and materiality, including its prefabricated concrete paneling and corrugated steel. EFFEKT anticipates that this approach may pave the way for the revitalization of many other disregarded buildings left to deteriorate around the country.

tue foged, partner at EFFEKT, elaborates on the design process of streetmekka: ‘we simply removed the facades at both ends of the building and positioned the new functions on both sides of the existing structure, leaving the internal production space intact. this clear and emphatic re-organization also equips the building with a completely new exterior and makes it possible to pull in more daylight through the two new glass facades while improving the connection to the exterior space.‘