legato sports architecture has teamed up with KOSMOS architects to create europe’s largest extreme park in kazan, russia. dubbed ‘uram’ (‘street’ in tatar), the 8,000 sqm structure features multiple extreme sport zones (air park, street plaza, concrete bowl, and skate house) as well as cultural spaces open to everyone (a center for contemporary music, DJ school, skate shop, dance hall, gallery, lecture hall, café, and recreation area). its industrial exterior, and distinctive architectural features which include a plywood ocean, metal point cloud, and concrete cave, generate a new urban landmark for the area, which combines sports, educational, and social functions under one roof.

all images courtesy of KOSMOS architects

legato sports architecture (find more here) and KOSMOS (find more here) decided to form a unique façade made of two parts, which perform on different scales. the upper volume is shaped as a minimalistic rectangular block, faced with brushed stainless steel. visible from the opposite side of the kazanka river, the abstract form reflects the sun or grey sky and changes depending on the weather conditions. the geometry of the façade which is made of corrugated metal sheets refers to typical industrial buildings, whereas the material finish —stainless steel polished to a mirror shine— provides the public building with an attractive shiny appearance.

this upper minimalistic volume rests on several flamboyant concrete hills that develop the formal expression of an outdoor extreme park. the hills blur the lines between architecture and park infrastructure, transforming the façade into a radical functional landscape that is climb-able, slide-able, jump-able and roll-able. 

inside the building, architecture merges with sports facilities, combining diverse spaces and functions with the powerful atmosphere and drive of modern street culture. the interior concept is based on the exposure of simple industrial elements, inexpensive and practical: concrete, sheet metal, reinforced glass, plywood, drywall, masonry materials. the natural color of all these materials varies in shades of gray.

to give an identity to the space and to facilitate navigation within the sports center, the design is accentuated by an additional bright, signal color — volt (bright green-yellow). this color is most noticeable to the human eye and therefore is actively used in street and road navigation to ensure safety. the bright tone signifies the most important areas in the building and guides visitors towards them. the reception, information board, entrances, and escape routes are all highlighted in volt. 

each area of the sports center has its own unique look, created by one basic technique or material. in the airpark, the main material is plywood, which creates the total space of the ‘plywood ocean’.  in the lecture hall, the space is formed with the help of a ‘cloud of points’ — suspended lamps that form an alternative geometry. the bowl’s main material is concrete, and the interior of the main inner street is defined by a spatial grid of lamps and wall frame profiles. the radical and functional design follows the logic of infrastructure facilities, street and road navigation: it’s simple radical, and functional all at once.

for the concrete skateboarding bowl, the chief designer of legato sports architecture, vasily borisenko, collaborated with john magnusson, one of the most famous swedish skateboarders. the bowl design refers to the classics of skateboarding: the sides are shaped as original copings, like in the abandoned californian pools in which skateboarding was born. the bowl can be climbed using a ladder whose railings are painted in vivid volt color. above, there is a concrete amphitheater where athletes can relax, and next to it, on the flat parts of the bowl, there are unusual forms inviting skaters to perfect their new tricks.

name: uram extreme park architects: KOSMOS architects, legato sports architecture

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edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

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