WILLETTON SKATE PLAZA

• DATE: 2019-2020
• CLIENT: City of Canning
• SIZE: 895m²
• SERVICES: Consultation, Concept Design, Detailed Design, Contracts Administration

The Willetton Skate Plaza is a collaboration between Skate Sculpture, REALM Studios, and artist Chris Nixon, representing a unique approach to skatepark design within the context of Australian skateboarding facilities.

Inspired by authentic skateboarding culture which utilises the built environment and urban realm, The Willetton skate plaza celebrates the interaction of skateboarding within a high-profile community plaza, celebrating the positive outcomes of providing a public urban space for the youth to engage physically and socially.

Atypical construction methodologies and materials were utilised to provide a skateboarding surface resembling an authentic urban plaza while remaining fully compatible with the technicalities of a skateboarding terrain.

A continual paving pattern seamlessly integrates with the surrounding pedestrian plaza, while strong consideration was placed into the layout of obstacles and elements to provide a natural movement hierarchy, allowing for safe circulation for general pedestrians throughout the site. Through the integration of paving, planting, feature lighting and artistic elements, the resulting plaza provides a truly integrated community space and focal point that remains functional both as a skateable youth plaza as well as pedestrian corridor and access to the sporting complex.

Attractions include two stateable garden bed planters, sculptural flat bar, slappy curbs, long ledge with extra width for manual pads, three faced slappy bank, 850h quarter-pipe and a 450h stage area providing a series of across down ledges, banks, three stairs, two block and granite pier 7.