In the first in a series of daily videos about London buildings and spaces during Open House London, architecture historian and skateboarding fan Iain Borden sheds light on the design of Crystal Palace Skatepark.
The short movie, made by Jim Stephenson of Stephenson/BishopFilms, is one of a series of movies about overlooked and unusual places in the city commissioned by the festival as part of its 2020 programme.
The films are part of the festival's move to diversify its programme and make it more accessible in the light of the coronavirus pandemic, which has impacted the number of buildings able to throw their doors open to the public.

As media partner for Open House London, Dezeen is publishing a different movie every day during the festival, which runs from 19 to 27 September. Located in south-east London, the concrete Crystal Palace Skatepark was designed by Canvas in 2018 as a free facility for the community.
It was the result of a petition raised by local skaters four years earlier, sparked by a flurry of open-access skateparks being built across the UK by local councils.
A view of Crystal Palace Skatepark
In the video, Borden sheds light on the design that comprises three unique sections. This includes a deep clover-shaped bowl, a central medium-depth L-shaped bowl and shallow "street course" with various flat and raised banks.
According to Borden, this layout is unique and makes the park a well-regarded venue within the UK.

Its most notable feature is ...