New standard for construction of public skateparks

Do sports and recreational facilities in Poland, i.e. gyms, sports fields, playgrounds, meet safety standards?Where are the most common mistakes made during their implementation?

Magdalena Berlinska: With the fulfillment of standards is very different. We observe that improvement compared to, for example, the state 10 years ago, both in terms of the quality of equipment and surfaces on these facilities, as well as investor awareness, but there is still a lot to be done.

Among the most common mistakes are: ignorance of standards by designers, poor quality of materials used in production, faulty installation failure to observe safety zones, poorly constructed surfaces.

As for playgrounds, it is estimated that about 70% of the facilities put into operation have non-conformities with standards, of which about 15-20% of them have serious non-conformities that can result in damage to health or even, in extreme cases, loss of life. Despite this, the obligation to conduct an independent post-assembly inspection of each new playground is still very often overlooked, despite the fact that from August 1, 2024, after a change in regulations, this inspection has become unequivocally mandatory.

What consequences can result from the failure to meet normative requirements in the construction of skateparks and other recreational facilities, and from the lack of reliable acceptance inspection?

MB: Failure to meet safety standards during the construction of skateparks and other recreational facilities, as well as the lack of reliable acceptance inspection, can lead to serious consequences. The most important and serious of these is the occurrence of more or less serious accidents. Indeed, some of the non-compliance with the standards can lead to serious injuries and even disability or death.

These accidents are acute not only for the users who are directly affected, but also for contractors, investors or managers, due to the legal consequences that affect them. We are talking about the drawn-out proceedings of compensation claims, which are both time-consuming and costly, not to mention the stress that comes with them. In addition, in the case of serious injuries, the criminal code consequences for those at fault for the accident also come into play.

Another issue is the responsibility of officials for the implementation of investments with public funds and the risk of allegations of misspending such funds if the investment turns out to be flawed or unsafe for some reason.

Not only accidents, but also negative reviews related to the poor quality of equipment or poor functionality of the facility can damage the reputation of the contractor, which can make it difficult to win further contracts. This is especially true at large, flagship facilities. A case in point is the playground in Ujazdowski Park in Warsaw, whose opening was advertised all over Poland, but turned out to be a troublesome and costly bubble. Another example is non-functional, poorly designed or constructed skateparks, where the opinion of the skatepark community is extremely important and translates largely into the reputation of the manufacturer.

Poor quality equipment and paving also usually entails costly repairs or upgrades to bring the facility up to current standards and make it operational.

How can a guide prepared on behalf of the Ministry of Sports help better supervise the implementation of skateparks and the acceptance of such facilities?

MB: The guidebook "Skateparks - from design to maintenance," prepared on behalf of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, is a valuable source of knowledge and a tool to support all stages of skatepark construction. Its comprehensive nature can help improve the design, supervision and acceptance of such facilities.

Two specialized companies were involved in its creation - one connected with the market for the acceptance and certification of skateparks, the other, coming from the user community - with design and construction. Thanks to this, a combination of reliable knowledge and practice was created, which had a synergistic effect.

Reading the guide can, above all, raise the awareness of investors that the design and construction of skateparks is not an easy matter and should not be approached solely from a technical point of view. Equally important is the participation in this process of active users of skateparks, whose experience is crucial in designing a functional facility.

Reliable, logical and correct execution of the skatepark design is the first step. How to properly design skateparks will be explained in more detail by designers from the SloConcept design office in the second part of our article. The Slo Concept brand has been operating on the Polish and European market since 2012. The company has completed about 900 concepts for skateparks and sports facilities, so they know best how to create a functional and well-thought-out skatepark.

Is designing skateparks according to a standard a major constraint on creativity, and doesn't it limit meeting the ever-increasing needs of users of such facilities? How to deal with it?

SloConcept: Designing skateparks in accordance with the European standard brings great limitations if we have a small area for future investment, and high expectations of future users in terms of the number of elements and sectioning of the facility. The standards set us certain standards for distances, heights and proportions for various elements that we must adhere to in order to make the facility as safe as possible. To a large extent, this defines for us the area we will be able to allocate for each element and how we can connect it to another. Of course, our knowledge of the elements and, above all, our many years of experience in skatepark sports, allows us to create different connections, riding sections or crossing lines, but it is the creative approach to each newly designed facility and the different needs of young people that makes it unique and sets it apart from others around the country.

On the other hand, if we have a larger area for a future project then, despite the standard and the limitations it carries, we can already let our imagination run wild to a large extent and, with guidance on the needs of future users, plan and create a skatepark that will accommodate more elements with different riding or flying purposes, in more creative configurations or heights. Large areas also provide the opportunity to plan more sections in terms of the riding sophistication of different users.

How have skateparks and skatepark design itself changed over the last 10 years ?

SloConcept: Skateparks are getting more and more creative, often combining several sections with different riding or flying purposes. They have become more and more flow-oriented, i.e., where, with practically no pushback, you can take several elements in succession in a single line of travel, and versatile in terms of different groups of riders (BMX, skateboard, rollerblading and scooter).

The entire design process has also changed. Thanks to drones, the technology of scanning the terrain from the air for the future project allows us to fit more accurately into the available terrain and use it more functionally in relation to the elements of the future skatepark. In addition, now we take into account not only the skatepark, but many times the entire development area around it, because, after all, each of us after riding want to relax for a while, have as much as possible to the facility or just have a nice time within its boundaries. 3D glasses are also a super tool, thanks to which we can check for ourselves in perspective during the design, how exactly a given element will look proportionally in relation to others, or the whole concept. This brings the possibility of checking to the maximum the real effect of the project.

What makes a skatepark non-functional or unsafe, what are the most common design mistakes?

SloConcept: The most common design mistakes are due to a lack of knowledge and experience in riding on such facilities. Technical knowledge alone is not enough, it is necessary to have knowledge from practical use of such facilities, then such a design will be complete in terms of safety and functionality. On the facilities themselves there are many details that will not attract the attention of a person who does not ride on the skatepark.

The most common mistakes are misaligned elements in relation to each other, not only in terms of the smoothness of the ride, but also the heights that define the speed of the ride. Important mistakes are collisions on ride lines, primarily between the flying and street sections, where the differences on speeds are significant and can lead to more dangerous accidents between users of the two sections. It is also common for architects to design small arch elements in the safety zone of the skatepark which, when colliding with such an element, can even risk the loss of life of a future user.

The selection of good construction technology and the use of quality materials are very important, because the combination of this with an experienced contractor gives us confidence that the object will serve for years, without losing its utility and safety level.

Non-functional matching of skatepark elements with each other results in danger and often even the impossibility of riding. Simply put, poorly designed skateparks that have been built "shine empty" and are an attraction more for "urbex" than for riders.

How can you currently work to improve the aesthetics of such facilities without compromising functionality and safety?

SloConcept: Skateparks can be not only functional and safe, but also aesthetically pleasing and visually pleasing. The introduction of color on vertical surfaces, such as element walls, significantly improves the visual perception of such facilities. Instead of the monotonous, uniform color of the space, we get a color-filling effect that makes users feel more comfortable.

We try to harmoniously combine different colors so that the skatepark is not just a gray concrete place, but a space full of energy and character. Often the colors used refer to local symbolism, such as the colors of city coats of arms, which further emphasizes the unique character of the place.

Thanks to modern technologies in concrete processing, it is also possible to design more openwork elements that visually "slim down" the structure, giving the skatepark lightness and more space.

Why is the voice of future users so important in the creation of skateparks?

SloConcept: During community consultations with representatives of all user groups (BMX, skateboard, rollerblading, scooter), we analyze which discipline dominates the site. This is key information, because it partly defines the character of the future skatepark - whether it will be more aerial or street. Then, in the course of discussions, we learn the specific expectations of future users regarding the preferred elements and layout of the space.

With this data, we can proceed to the design of the entire facility - its layout, connections and sections.

It is at this stage that knowledge and experience combine with creativity and the real needs of the community, resulting in unique skateparks tailored to the dreams of users.

In your opinion, will the creation of the guide have a positive impact on the quality of skatepark concepts and construction projects in Poland?

SloConcept: Of course! Finally, something educational has been created, which explains and makes people who have had little or no exposure to this type of facilities or the sports played on them aware of what well-designed and built skateparks should look like in an accessible way. This guide indicates what to pay special attention to and what to avoid. Thanks to such materials, one can understand that a skatepark is not a playground or an ordinary sports facility, but a specialized space that requires an informed design approach and, above all, practical riding experience.

Raising awareness on this topic is key, as this knowledge is what determines whether a facility will be well-designed and thus safe and functional. It's also a matter of appropriate use of public funds - if skateparks are built with taxpayer funds, they should be well thought out and meet the highest standards. It is important that our children and all users have access to safe and modern places for sports, which are growing rapidly in cities.

Extreme sports related to skateparks have been among the Olympic disciplines for several years, which makes it all the more important to design them at the highest level - both in terms of quality and functionality. We should move with the times, develop consciously and take care of the safety of future generations. We cannot remain stagnant, ignoring the changes that surround us!

The Sports Ministry's guide helps to better design and supervise skateparks, taking into account both technical standards and the needs of users. The guide "Skateparks - from design to maintenance" is a valuable resource for investors, designers and contractors - it is worth downloading to avoid mistakes and ensure the safety of users. Download the guide here.