The SkatePark in Mumbai on the Carter Road Promenade is the result of an exciting collaboration between the designers Bandra Collective, creators Bombay SB and artists Sanskaar Sawant of Homework Book Studio. The skate park has proven to be a great example of how public spaces contribute and enhance the lives of citizens. It is intended to be the first of many dynamic, easily accessible open spaces in the city promoting collaborations to bring together different design sensibilities. Together with the MMB (Mumbai Maritime Board), the BWRA (Bandra West Residents Association) and Altamash Sayed for Bombay SB, the Bandra Collective has worked hard to make this skatepark a reality.
Social Disruption
Skateboarding acts as a force of “social disruption”. Not surprisingly, the skatepark at Carter Road quickly has become a meeting place not only for enthusiasts, but also a please where people of different backgrounds interact. Previously the Carter Road promenade was predominantly a place for a quiet evening stroll or a run attracting the elderly and middle-aged residents of the wealthy neighbourhood of Bandra.
The skatepark has changed this. Now small kids, young men, and women from both underprivileged communities as well as the well to do, join in a sport that binds them together, breaking down cultural barriers. The elderly enjoys the new addition to the promenade as well, watching the stunts and vibrant activity at the skate park from the side-lines.
Inclusive Public Space
While re-designing the Carter Road Promenade, the members of the Bandra Collective ensured that the promenade and its featured activity spots become spaces that encourage citizens to engage with public space. Having worked with Bombay SB in the past, the team was aware of the lack of skate parks in Mumbai for the small but growing skating community. This became the starting point of the conversion of an unused stretch of the promenade into Mumbai’s first skate park.
To make sure the the SkatePark was accessible to all the team of architects designed it to double up as an amphitheater that could be used for small performances. Additionally, it has multiple access points that allows for citizens to take a short detour to walk through the park, flanked by lush mangroves before walking back out onto the promenade.
