Bristol’s Cabot Circus carpark has been transformed into a skatepark, creating a unique new destination for the South West’s 100,000 young skateboarders.
Bristol’s skate scene is iconic, making it one of the UK’s top 10 cities for the sport boosted by its addition to the Tokyo 2022 Olympics programme. With 11 billion views on TikTok and 14 million Instagram posts using the hashtag #skateboarding in 2021, skating is one of the hottest sports on the planet.
Bristol connections
Hammerson has tapped into the minds of Bristol-based skatepark designers, Canvas, and local street art favourites, Upfest, to curate the innovative and colourful space which is packed with curbs, ledges and rails – obstacles that skaters seek out in the streets in towns and cities around the world.
The pop-up will also see Red Bull bring its international ‘Red Bull Curb Kings’ contest to the UK for the first time, with skaters battling it out to be crowned the best in the South West.
Community: Obstacles donated to the city
In a unique partnership with Bristol Council, obstacles constructed by Canvas will be donated to and repurposed within Bristol skateparks, inspiring the next generation. A collaboration with ‘Bristol Girls Skate’, also aims to encourage young females in the city and all over the country to take up the sport. The social media community will create content during the pop-up.
Harry Badham, Chief Development and Asset Repositioning Officer, Hammerson said: “We’re not afraid to do something different at Hammerson and the skatepark proves this. Carparks should be seen as multi-purpose spaces which can be transformed, bringing a new vibrancy and customer base. Skateboarding has a phenomenal following and Bristol was the perfect city to test-bed this concept. Thank you to our partners Red Bull, Canvas and Upfest for bringing our idea to life.”
Placemaking
The skatepark is just one of the many ways Hammerson is reinvigorating its destinations. Developing strong partnerships and experiences with new and existing brands to explore and incubate new concepts that welcome and engage our visitors in new, smart, and memorable ways.
Entertainment concepts and events are integral to the place-making strategy, and recent successes include Bullring’s ‘Sporting Social’ in Birmingham, a new summer bar venue for customers to watch the Women’s Euros, Wimbledon and Commonwealth Games. Westquay is now a cultural destination in Southampton as it exhibits a 150 year old dinosaur called Big Sara, while Brent Cross also pushes the boundaries on carpark repurposing by hosting London’s largest urban beach and amusement park each summer.
Cabot Circus
Cabot Circus’ strong line-up of international brands, including Ted Baker, Superdry and Zara, alongside its diverse dining options from L’Osteria to Klosterhaus and Harvey Nichols Restaurant & Bar, makes this a vibrant day-to-night destination for locals and visitors. It has also become an integral part of Bristol’s cultural programme, recently hosting Sofar Sounds, a series of intimate gigs for local musicians, and transforming the main steps for Bristol Pride.
ENDS