The inside of the old Pacific Super grocery store on Alemany Boulevard will be quite different from what people remember.
Touchstone Climbing, a San Francisco-founded climbing gym chain with 18 locations, recently shared renderings for the inside of Aisle 19, its forthcoming gym. (The gym's name is a play on being inside a one-time supermarket and the 19th location.)
"We're excited to create a space that reflects the creativity, community and climbing culture that make Touchstone special,” Marketing Director Heather Bellgreen told The Ingleside Light. “Aisle 19 is being thoughtfully designed to be more than just a climbing gym.”
The Technicolor bouldering walls were created by Walltopia. The design features bright geometric patterns with elements that blend maximalism with touches of baroque influences and abstract “forest friends," which include a fox and owl in abstract form.
The color palette of gradients of yellows, pinks, reds and blues was designed with climbing in mind, which will complement the colorful holds on the walls. The goal for the space was to create an energetic, dynamic environment that feels both playful and inspiring.
Bellgreen said the gym will be a place where people can train, connect and spend time together.
This includes a full-service climbing and fitness space with a dedicated exercise and weights area, a yoga room, a program room and saunas, among other features.
Touchstone Climbing has been working on the location since July 2024. The company previously stated it plans to host pop-ups with small businesses and organizations from the area and other activities, such as food drives.
Aisle 19 will be the chain’s third gym in San Francisco, joining the locations in Dogpatch and the Mission, and 16 others throughout Northern and Southern California. The gym's staff recently won a unionization effort.
Bellgreen said the company anticipates opening Aisle 19 in early 2027.
