When Chinese officials conceived of New Jiangwan City - a "planned metropolis" on the outskirts of Shanghai - the centerpiece of downtown was supposed to be a general recreation area. Instead, clothing company SMP persuaded the government to build a 130,000-square-foot, $26 million temple to a sport many Chinese have never heard of: skateboarding.
Convic, an Australian firm that has designed more than 300 skate parks worldwide, outfitted the facility with a full pipe, the widest vertical ramp in the world, and a center bowl so big that motorcycles can ride around in it. The firm also included plenty of beginner-level areas for newbies to practice their ollies. "The country doesn't have a real skate culture," says Aaron Wallis, a Convic designer. "But we're hoping this new park produces some amazing Chinese skaters." So, how do you say rad in Mandarin?
- David Goldenberg
credit: Shalihe Santos
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