Skate park in Butwal

Location Butwal, Nepal

Client / operator skate-aid Nepal, Yuwa for change

Landscape architects maier landschaftsarchitektur DE – 51107 Cologne www.maierlandschaftsarchitektur.de

Author Ralf Maier

Photos Ralf Maier

Official opening March 2022

FLEXIBLE ZONING

SKATE PARK IN BUTWAL

By building the skate park in Butwal, maier landschaftsarchitektur and the NGO skateaid are continuing their many years of cooperation. This is the tenth skate facility that maier landschaftsarchitektur has designed unpaid for skate-aid. The street skate park with low-threshold opportunities is supplemented by a skate bowl and a streetball area.

Nepal is a country in South Asia that has a rich history and has been developing and modernising rapidly in recent years. In 2015, Nepal experienced a devastating earthquake that destroyed large parts of the country. The community project in Butwal near the Tinau River is contributing to reconstruction efforts with a skate park and sports education programme. Butwal is located at the foot of the Himalayas, about 240 km west of the capital Kathmandu.

Suitable for all user groups The street skate park in Butwal covers an area of a good 400 m² (38 x 12 m). Its various elements, such as benches, curbs and railings, are typically found in the street environment and in urban architecture. The outer ends of this area are elevated to form ramps that enable users to gain momentum and thus enjoy a smooth ride. The selected skate elements constitute a low-threshold offer for local youth, while also providing sufficient variety for advanced skaters. The outer sections are each 120 m² in size and include a streetball area (basketball) and a bowl-shaped skate element.

Blueprint for other regions The design of the skate park was based on an abstract version of the skate-aid logo, which consists of two crossed skateboards. This cross represents the basic shape of the facility and divides it into three areas. The skate park is located in the central area, the heart of the facility. The bordering sections can be flexibly adapted to users‘ wishes and local needs. Here, for example, it is possible to create multifunctional sports areas, event areas, additional skate areas, a playground, or a building such as a youth centre. Thanks to the clearly demarcated forms, it is also possible to subsequently roof over certain parts so that the facility can also be used in bad weather.

The approach permits the development of other facilities that have a uniform appearance and yet are customisable. The design can be easily scaled and thus adapted to local conditions and the project budget. In addition, the zoning of the facility allows it to be built in several, discrete construction stages. Thanks to its elongated shape, the central area is ideally suited for the development of different and exciting skate parks in future projects.

Cooperation with local partners The project in Butwal has intensified cooperation with the Yuwa for Change association, which has been in place for several years. The skate park and the skateboard are the necessary tools to empower children in Nepal through educationally supervised skateboarding workshops and to reinforce their innate motivation. Among other things, they learn after falling to get back on their feet unaided again and again and can thus develop into confident individuals.

On 5 March 2022, the facility was ceremoniously opened in the presence of everyone involved and civic leaders. Even during construction, the interest was huge, and the facility has been heavily frequented since opening.