Skateboarding and Urban Space

Ahmed Noeman & Jace Marc Fernandes Instructed by Professor Suzanne Strum ARC394 - Fall 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Skate Culture - sidewalk surfing - movement through space - resistance 3. Barcelona Skating Haven - post olympic barcelona - urban skatespots 4. Design features - urban appropriation 5. Skatespot Analysis - placa de angels at the macba - baro de viver skatepark 6. Conclusion

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1. What were the cultural forces that lead to the emergence of skate culture?

2. What is the importance and difference between dedicated and ephemeral skateparks?

3. What are the negative connotations and types of stereotyping connected to skate culture?

4. What are the cost and rewards of using public space as an environment for skating?

5. What are the possibilities of having skateboarder and pedestrian coexist in harmony?

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SKATE CULTURE Sidewalk Surfing Skateboarding history begins in the late 1940s when the surfers of Southern California needed a pastime while beach waves were not sufficient enough to surf. Several people around the time had formulated the idea of attaching wheels to wooden crates and surfboards. Hence the term “sidewalk surfing� is born. This term in many ways is suggestive of the birthplace of skateboarding; the urban city where sidewalks are abundant.

Throughout the next few decades, the art of skateboarding gets further developed as more people are introduced to the sport and new tricks are invented. The appropriation of the city as the ultimate skatepark becomes inevitable.

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SKATE CULTURE Skating and The Body Skateboarders experience the environment in which they skate very differently from other users of the same space. This is mainly because the board acts as a bridge between body and architecture. It is this bridge that is tighter than any other medium of transportation and recreation.

The link between skateboarder and city is one of high intimacy and can be observed at a very microscopic level. The vibrations and sound that get transmitted through a board create a stronger image of the city that go beyond visual information (Borden, 2001). These rhythmic observations of the ground and walls of a city.

the skateboard acts as a bridge between body and space every vibration of the road surface can be felt through the wheel of the board

SKATE CULTURE

an influx of skateboarders from suburban areas to dense city cores can be seen throughout the 1970’s owards

Resistance Skateboarders are traditionally seen as unwanted in urban environments, with defensive design tactics, such as skate stoppers being employed.

However, such tactics ultimately prove to be counter intuitive, because the act of skateboarding itself is not illegal. Furthermore, prohibiting skateboarders from using particular spaces would only add to the anarchistic spirit of skateboarding, which is part of the reason behind why skateparks built outside of the city have very little appeal to a number of skaters who choose to skate wherever they see the opportunity to do so.

Such resistance ultimately grew out of a shift of skateboarders from suburban environments to dense city cores, as was seen in a number of American cities from the 1970’s through to the 1980’s. The influx of skateboarders into city cores suddenly led to the take over and appropriation of plazas and a number of urbans spaces, which skateboarders sought, due to the number of skatable elements present.

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skating within uban cores during the 1950’s and 1960s was highly unusual and was only seen in major cities, such as in New York City, as can be seen in this image.

BARCELONA: skating haven

Barcelona has increasingly become known as a top skating destination among skateboarders globally

Skate culture developed a little later in Barcelona than in the United States. During Barcelona’s 1992 postOlympic period, a large number of urban areas had been revitalized with smooth surfaces and edges that were perfect for many forms of skateboarding.

This new era brought a vast number of skateboarders into the city and this connection has been kept strong through Barcelona’s rather liberal stance on skating in public spaces (Metropolitan Barcelona, 2016).

Por t Forum Placa de Les Glories Skatepark Mar Bella

Placa dels Angels

BARCELONA: skatespots

Skateparks in Barcelona are primarily situated on the exterior of the city around the ring road. However, areas within the city are commonly appropriated by skaters, often at the dislike of city planners, who frequently plan skateparks on the city outskirts but with little success at times.

URBAN APPROPRIATION Railings Stairs Curbs

Benches

Half-pipes

Ramps

A series of base skateboarding elements most of which have evolved from daily urban infrastructure. These elements support the skateboarders journey through the space

Pool bowl

Quarter-pipe

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MACBA

congregation

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design feature

intersection and harmony

audience

MACBA

The Macba and the Placa de Angels are the key hotspots of skateboarding in Barcelona. They act as a clear example indicating the importance of a centralized location more than any other aspect of creating a local skate community. In reality, the Macba does not offer much in the physical realm of skateboarding.

skateboarders pedestrians

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BARO DE VIVER

accessibility

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appropriation

material

form

BARO DE VIVER

The Baro de Viver Sports Urban Park is an example of an abandoned and unused space transformed into a dedicated space for skateboarders to inhabit and use without consequence of damage or harm to pedestrians.

skateboarders pedestrians

CONCLUSION Author Iain Borden discusses the potential that skateboarding brings to the future of architecture and urban design. In more ways than one, skateboarding has a more sensual impact on architecture than any other demographic. It has the ability to question the function of daily objects and in some instances give more meaning to mundane objects. The body and board of a skater are unique and dynamic entities that float through the urban fabric instilling a sense of urgency and adrenaline in both the user and observer.

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