Buildings as Skateparks

skateboarding architecture

Following on from my review of Skateboarding, Space and the City, Wired has a nice article about some recently finished buildings in which the Architects have conciously included for skate design. The Oslo Opera House by Snøhetta where skateboarders were consulted;

“We spoke to them about surface textures and the areas they prefer,” architect Simon Ewings.

Also the Phaeno Science centre by Zaha Hadid and a park in Barcelona by FOA were designed with skaters in mind. Read the full article in Wired.

Oslo Ski Jump Push Needed

Julien De Smedt’s competition win for Oslo’s new ski jump (previous article) needs a little push to help it get off the ground. The Architectural Record reported that the project is in jeopardy. JDS have set up a petition website and are due to make final presentations to the city to try and save the scheme. I really hope they can build it, as I think it should be a magnificent project. Go here to find out more and add your name to the petition.