A groundbreaking sports facility combining urban skating disciplines with a multi-purpose court has been completed along the RER A railway line in Vincennes, France. Designed by architectural firm Bureau FORME, the project known as the Alice Milliat Skate Park and Streetball Court represents an innovative solution to maximizing limited urban space while serving diverse community needs.
The facility is strategically positioned at the end of Avenue des Murs du Parc, adjacent to the Vincennes Dôme swimming complex. This location marks the final phase of an extensive redevelopment program that transformed former railway land into community assets. Originally designated for a pedestrian bridge that was never built, the site remained vacant until the PEMB authority allocated it for a neighborhood sports program that would serve local residents.
Architects faced the significant challenge of incorporating three distinct functions within a constrained footprint while ensuring the design harmonized with the existing urban environment. Their solution employed three key spatial strategies that maximize both functionality and accessibility. The elevated sports court aligns with existing building facades, effectively completing the street's urban sequence and creating visual continuity with surrounding structures.
The most striking feature of the design is the sports court raised three meters above ground level, which creates a naturally sheltered outdoor space beneath. This vertical arrangement allows the facility to serve multiple user groups simultaneously without interference. A continuous perimeter ramp provides universal access to the elevated court while defining a complete circuit for wheeled sports, incorporating specialized features for roller skating, skateboarding, and BMX riding.
Beneath the upper platform, a protected bowl offers year-round usage opportunities, a feature that is uncommon in the surrounding area. This sheltered space allows skating activities to continue regardless of weather conditions, significantly extending the facility's usability throughout the seasons. The building's strategic setback also creates space for a rain garden, enhancing the site's ecological performance and supporting sustainable on-site water management practices.
Site constraints necessitated the vertical stacking arrangement, with the multi-sports court positioned above and the skatepark below. This configuration produces unique spatial conditions, including the distinctive sheltered bowl that has become a signature feature. As the only architectural element visible from the nearby cul-de-sac, the elevated court extends the street's frontage and forms a dramatic cantilever that clearly signals both the facility's identity and main entrance.
Bureau FORME's design philosophy emphasized creating a functional yet adaptable environment where architectural elements such as lines, slopes, and volumes support diverse activities ranging from intensive physical exercise to passive recreation and spectating. The facility includes thoughtfully designed features like low walls, stepped platforms, and the access ramp itself, all of which provide opportunities for circulation, social gathering, and informal use by community members.
These architectural elements enable the facility to accommodate varied practices and usage patterns that can evolve over time, ensuring long-term relevance to the community. The project also establishes important connections to Vincennes' network of local associations involved in cultural and sporting activities, providing an additional venue for daily participation and special community events. This integration embeds the facility within its immediate social context rather than treating it as an isolated structure.
Accessibility requirements are comprehensively addressed through the continuous ramp system, eliminating the need for external elevator installations. This circulation route seamlessly connects ground level to the upper court while incorporating skatepark elements directly into its geometric design. As users ascend the ramp, they encounter various configurations including guardrails that function as coping bars for skating tricks, strategic openings that serve as rest points, and surfaces specifically designed to support riding activities.
The gradual ascent offers users changing perspectives and views of both the multi-sports court above and the active skatepark below, creating a dynamic visual experience. Beyond its technical components, the project makes a significant contribution to the organization of public space by establishing clear circulation routes, shared viewing areas, and designated zones for collective activities.
Through these comprehensive design strategies, the facility successfully supports mixed-use programming, encourages interaction between different user groups, and provides flexible patterns of occupation that enhance the broader urban setting. The project demonstrates how innovative architectural solutions can transform underutilized urban spaces into vibrant community assets that serve multiple generations and diverse recreational interests.
