Game Related: ZAP’ADOS Skatepark By Bang Architects (Calais, France)

In the middle of an industrial wasteland in the town of Calais, France a building stands out like a beacon of change in a bleak urban landscape. Along a canal in the St. Pierre district of the French working class town in, what used to be a roasted peanut factory turned go-kart track, there is new life taking shape. Falling under the urban renewal program conducted by architects Moatti & Riviere the space has been converted by Bang Architects; into an airy, modern, stylish skate park and youth center. In traditional French minimal aesthetic the indoor park is one long room with swooping ceilings and a mix of grey and clay-colored fixtures. Windows on all sides offer through-views and natural light that make the hanger feel more like a modern airport terminal than old peanut factory. As industry moves away from developed nations to cheaper ports, these old factory towns across the world are in the middle of a modern makeover. Architects are re-imagining deserted industrial districts all across the world, converting them into community spaces and sports facilities that bring new life to crumbling parts of previously productive cities. This shining space on the landscape is just another example of how old can be made new again.

by Lennon Bergland

source: archdaily