Skatepark

Overlooked by Santiago Calatrava's Turning Torso, an abandoned slipway in Malmö's old harbour area has been transformed into an activity park. This born-again area is called Stapelbäddsparken, and its most interesting addition is a new skate park. The designer is Oregon-based Stefan Hauser. He is not an architect by trade, but has a background of art and sculpture and - of course- skating. He has gained a solid international reputation as a designer and builder of skateparks. What really distinguishes him from your average architect is his hands-on approach. When construction work is about to begin, Hauser relocates to the project for the duration, together with a crew of loyal friends. The skaters-cum-builders construct the whole thing themselves. In Malmö, the result is impressive - a landscape of bumps, slopes and steel-rimmed edges, and a compulsory bowl: a kidney-shaped pool. The immaculate concrete surfaces with smooth organic slopes look almost abstract in their improbable form.