23 Feb 2016
Danish studio Effekt transform derelict train depot into street sport and culture hub
BY Kim Megson
Architecture studio EFFEKT have completed their transformation of an abandoned train depot in the Danish seaport Esbjerg into a new facility for street sport, skateboarding and showcasing urban culture.
The complex, called GAME Streetmekka, has been created through the restoration of the depot’s existing buildings and the addition of durable new low-tech halls, which surround a central turntable and integrate with the site’s industrial aesthetic.
Streetmekka is organised into five multifunctional zones, with outdoor and indoor space for different street sports, dancing and urban art displays. Competitions and cultural events can be held around the perimeter of the complex, with the old railway turntable acting as an amphitheatre for spectators.
“The distinct circular layout connects new and old buildings and revitalises the existing halls, turntable and tracks in a new hybrid of industrial architecture and street culture,” said the architects in a statement. “We have created a new type of facility that can support and embrace the new wave of emerging unorganised street activities.”
EFFEKT were drawn to the project due to the challenge of creating a venue for skateboarding, which they said “has evolved into one of the fastest growing sports in the western world.”
“This former underground activity does not fit into any of the existing conventional sport facilities catering to organised club sports,” they said. “We had to overcome that challenge.”
Activities at the centre are organised by GAME, a Danish-based street sport NGO founded in 2002 to create lasting social change through youth-led street sports and culture. The group organises parkour and dance sessions and games of street basketball and football in disadvantaged Danish neighbourhoods.
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