MSU Climbing Gym

In collaboration with climbing consultants, university athletic directors, and Montana State University’s student body of outdoor enthusiasts, 45 Architecture designed a dynamic new bouldering area in what was previously a racquetball court in the Marga Hosaeus Fitness Center. The result was a larger and more efficient space for students to climb, hang with friends, and workshop their project routes. In 2019, the gym’s surrounding structures collapsed, and the newly renovated bouldering area became collateral damage. The project’s life was brief, but it re-energized MSU’s climbing community. When it came time to rebuild the athletic center, students overwhelmingly voted to invest in another new climbing gym, this time featuring both bouldering and top rope areas.