Modular obstacles create temporary urban skatepark

Jira Jira Collective's modular skatepark is made up of nine mobile structures that can be added to existing objects in the city to create temporary obstacles.

In most cities, skateboarders — street skaters in particular — often find themselves in direct conflict with local councils. Authorities, rightly or wrongly, are infamous for adding spikes and removing tempting rails in the name of safety. Even when cities are blessed with skate parks that exist as valued parts of the local landscape, they can still find themselves in danger of closure — one example is London’s Southbank skatepark. But Rotterdam’s Jira Jira Collective may have found a solution, in the form of their modular skatepark. The innovative design project is a collection of nine mobile structures that can be added to existing objects in the urban landscape to create temporary obstacles.

The modular skatepark was created by Martijn Hartwig and Dario Goldbach as part of their final design project at the Willem de Kooning Academy. The mobile obstacles were attached to public bins and advertising boards in Rotterdam earlier this summer, enabling the skaters to participate in a guerrilla skate session. Each obstacle was also decorated by Dutch artists Leon Karssen and Vincent Blok.

Though it is unlikely that local councils will let the temporary structures be used in the long term, the project offers an innovative way of helping different cultures coexist in one urban space. Could other recreational equipment be given similar treatment?