Concrete Reality (architecture &/or skateboarding)

A thread for celebrating 20th century architecture & how much of the design was pretty much perfect for modern-era skateboarding

& now most of it has been demolished…

To start with an obvious one (still standing, props & love to LLSB)

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Also, skateparks built into the design of housing areas

The now demolished Hyson Green Bowls in Nottingham:

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5 Bridges in Gateshead a good infrastructure / skate spot example

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Broadmarsh, Nottingham

2000s

1970s

paul_early_shot

More:

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Need to get the Courts in Leicester pic up, I think Deeg posted them or might have even been Mick?

Broadmarsh is probably my all time favourite spot.

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I found a few photos from here a while ago, will have a search

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I think it was @nut.

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I wish someone else other than Red Bull has put this out but it does feature some amazing buildings

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Ah yes, might well have been.

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Some more photos here, not of the whole spot sadly

I think from a FB group a few years back

*edit - these look to be different banks, maybe still West Midlands though?

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Nobody other than Red Bull could have pulled that off.

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yeah just realised when posted - look decent too though!

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Which ones were in Skateboard! magazine? Some guy called Andy who I think was to do with Ideal, and the other Rick Cooper had photos there, I think.

Great thread idea.

As a result of Covid induced boredom and serendipity (someone gifted me a film camera) I started taking pictures of some of the buildings/skate spots that were important to me as a kid. The one below is sadly due to be demolished (if it’s not sold which I doubt).

Known as either ‘Purple Banks’ or ‘College Banks’ depending on your generation these super steep banks have been skated since the 1970s at least.
The building was erected in the late 60’s and used to have a platform in the middle so you could ride down a set of stairs - that bit was removed to provide wheelchair access in the early 90s.
They’re pretty fucked now as no one really skates there any more but all kinds of heads have skated there over the years from Poppalardo to Carl Shipman.

They’ve been in a bunch of videos too - In Motion, Baghead Flats and Remon’s Vans Excursion (bs noseblunt!!) as well as a pop video for The Editors (iirc)

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Lance Mountain in Gateshead on more brick banks, popular design across the UK I guess

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Was there a girl called Tracey on the scene? I can picture a full page photo with a quote about her on it. I can find it in the morning anyway.

Here’s Andy:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAZpS9llxrj/?igshid=1wggjcibanbbs

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I think those were the Leicester Courts ones

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Wow, looks amazing!

Great photos

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