HAO / Holm Architecture Office with VM Studio Wins Manhattan Skate Park Competition

International design collective HAO / Holm Architecture Office, in collaboration with New York-based VM Studio, has received first place in a competition for the re-design of the Coleman Oval Skate Park in Manhattan.

Nine New York design firms were invited to participate in the competition, which was sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and a Gamechangers grant from Nike, a campaign encouraging community organizations to empower youth through sports programs that spur social and economic development. The project is being developed with the New York City Parks & Recreation Department’s Adopt-a-Park program.

The first part of the new design, the Skate Park and seating area, is expected to be completed mid 2012.

The Coleman Oval Skate Park, situated partly under the Manhattan Bridge on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, has become one of the most heavily trafficked skate parks in New York City.

HAO’s winning solution re-imagines the park and conceives a program designed specifically to suit the unique character and demographic mix of the surrounding neighborhood.

With the new skate park and seating area as the cornerstone of the revitalization of the larger Coleman Oval Park, HAO proposes a plug-and-play design solution that can be developed in phases while still establishing a strong unified architectural solution.

“By creating a park that emphasizes and underlines local diversity, Coleman Oval Park has the potential to become a one of a kind city park simply by accommodating the potential of the dense urban area it sits within: the secret is in the mix,” said Jens Holm, founder, HAO.

Project Details:

Title: Coleman Oval Skate Park
Program: Playground, Skate Park, Public Park, Stage, Dog Run, Base Ball Field & Sports Program
Type: Invited Competition
Client: Architecture for Humanity & Steve Rodriguez / 5boro
Location: Coleman Oval Park, Manhattan, NY
Status: Ongoing
Team: Jens Holm/HAO; Kay Vorwuelderbecke/VM Studio