Eindhoven’s AreaFiftyOne Skate Park
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Is one man’s abandoned factory another man’s super cool indoor/outdoor skate park constructed almost entirely from local wood?
In the case of Eindhoven’s AreaFiftyOne, yes would be the answer.
The empty building used to be home to Royal Philips Electronics before they moved on to Amsterdam, leaving behind 10,000 square feet of pure open space with endless possibilities in the right hands.
Skaters are happy the massive space fell into the hands of an entity that saw the possibility of converting the empty building into one of Europe’s largest skate parks of its kind.
AreaFiftyOne is only one in a number of buildings that were forgotten after the economy’s downturn; but today, a program to revitalize these empty spaces with potential is on an upswing for sure!
The transformations are creating lively hubs where the community can gather and have a good time.
Eindhoven isn’t AreaFiftyOne’s first home; the gigantic skate park was first opened to the public housed in an old hangar three miles away in the city of Meerhoven.
In 2006, AreaFiftyOne moved to its current location, and the rest is becoming history.
Unlike a typical hangar, this space is flooded with natural light, and skaters and non-skaters are loving all the “extras” like the array of skating lessons and workshops available, the bar, the DJ’s booth, and an environment conducive to some awesome live performances, ranging from hip hop to punk and experimental to drum & bass. They even have areas that are geared to the younger set, like a flat U-shape cross-section and a MU-bowl for beginners just getting their feet wet in the world of skating.
The inviting space makes it great for skaters to experiment and perfect their street, freestyle, and transition moves.
To continue its wow-factor, the outdoor skating area has a few tree-trunk supported poles for practicing tricks.
Just like the world of skating continues to evolve, I have a feeling so will the already impressive AreaFiftyOne!
