Designer who brought a skate park to Nike HQ makes his first mark on the Southampton scene

A collaboration between Skate Southampton and renowned international designer Rich Holland is already bearing fruit in the heart of the city.

Together they’ve designed and produced the UK’s first skateable 3D printed sculptures, which have now been deployed around Guildhall Square.

The wavy shapes are inspired by Southampton’s double tides, a rare phenomenon which sees the city coastline experiencing high tides much more frequently than elsewhere in the country.

These moveable installations represent a small part of the #RESHAPINGTHESQUARE project, which encourages designers to approach the city like a playground.

But this is only the first step in an ongoing partnership, as Rich has also contributed to plans for a complete reimagining of the old steel skate area at Hoglands Park.

The project is being funded by the University of Southampton, Southampton City Council, and Arts Council England, with further support from GO! Southampton.

Steve from Skate Southampton said: “We are extremely excited to be working with Rich Holland to shape the future of the Hoglands Park skate landscape.

“We have been working hard behind the scenes to build a new free, open, and inclusive space in the heart of our city.

“The moveable structures will allow us to change the design in line with trends that come and go, but the true essence of skateboarding will remain.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but once it’s complete it will be an incredible asset and one that hopefully inspires people across our area.”

Visualisation of the new Hoglands Park

With plenty of other skate parks around the city, including Veracity, Riverside Park, Shirley Ponds and Hinkler Green, the new Hoglands Park will provide the community with yet another option.

Cllr Lisa Mitchell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Green Environment at Southampton City Council, added: “The skate scene in Southampton is growing and a newly designed skate park by someone as renowned as Rich Holland is a huge boost.

“He’s been involved in some incredibly successful international projects so I have no doubt this will benefit the entire city and put Southampton on the map.

“We are committed to ensuring that all our parks across the city have high quality facilities for all to enjoy, and this project is another step towards that.”

• skatesouthampton.com