A groundbreaking skatepark suspended 20 meters above ground level is redefining urban sports facilities in Shanghai's Xuhui district. The Moreprk Skyline skatepark, designed by AAN Architects, appears as a floating glass volume attached to a building facade that overlooks the city's busy highway system. This innovative project introduces an entirely new concept for urban sports spaces, positioning the skatepark as both a recreational facility and an active social and architectural interface with the surrounding cityscape.
The architects describe their creation as a "three-dimensional theater open to the city," emphasizing how the design expands the traditional role of skateparks beyond simple recreation. By elevating the facility high above street level, the suspended configuration reinterprets the skatepark as an integral part of the vertical cityscape rather than typical ground-level infrastructure. This unique positioning allows users and spectators to experience skating while simultaneously engaging with Shanghai's dramatic urban panorama.
AAN Architects drew direct inspiration from Shanghai's distinctive skyline when developing the skatepark's design language. The studio translated the city's architectural contours into a series of curved banks, rolling slopes, and continuous surfaces that accommodate fluid movement and flow patterns. These design elements create seamless transitions between different planes and edges, supporting various trajectories for both skate activities and pedestrian movement throughout the space.
Fluidity serves as the project's primary design principle, expressed through smooth transitions that encourage natural movement patterns and social interaction. The curved surfaces and rolling contours mirror the undulating rhythm of Shanghai's skyline while providing functional skating terrain that challenges users at different skill levels. This integration of form, structure, and movement demonstrates how thoughtful architectural design can transform conventional urban sports facilities into dynamic spatial frameworks.
Through its innovative approach, Moreprk Skyline explores the potential for sports architecture to foster community engagement, social interaction, and urban visibility. The project successfully integrates sport and city life, creating a unique public space that serves as both a recreational destination and an architectural landmark. The transparent glass enclosure ensures that activities within remain visible to the broader urban community, reinforcing the facility's role as an open, accessible public amenity that contributes to the vibrancy of Shanghai's urban landscape.
