Cann Hall Skate Park had been closed after the steel frame and plywood structure had fallen into disrepair.

A refurbishment proposal was put together with funding from the Council’s Greenspace department, government funding secured by the Council’s youth service team and a donation from the local police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

The aim was to come up with a visually striking, safe and accessible design with a longer expected design life that would allow it to be used for many years with minimal maintenance.

The designers of the skate park, Betongpark, planned to use concrete to create a continuous contoured surface and wanted to use strong contrasting colours as part of their design.

A series of meetings were organised between Euromix, Riney and Betongpark, where guidance was given on materials and examples were shown of other projects that had used high performance pigmented concretes.

Following these discussions TOPTINT, a high-quality pigmented concrete was chosen for this project. Available in a wide range of colours, TOPTINT would deliver the smooth, durable finish required for the skate park surface in the bright, contrasting colours that the designer was looking for.

TOPTINT coloured concretes use liquid colour pigment which is UV stable meaning that the colour will not degrade over time from natural sunlight.

Also, because this liquid pigment is evenly mixed throughout the concrete, the colour resists surface wear, even in busy locations like skate parks.

The designer chose TOPTINT Charcoal and Harvest Gold colours, for a high contrast that would emphasise the bold geometric shapes used in the design.

Once the old steel structure had been cleared and groundworks had been completed by Riney, as planned, 17m3 of TOPTINT concrete was supplied to the site and cast by the designer’s own team, including 10m3 in the Harvest Gold colour and 7.5m3 in Charcoal.

Throughout the project there was close collaboration between designer and main contractor Betongpark, Riney and Euromix who provided materials expertise on concrete.

On-site support was provided throughout by the Euromix Commercial and Technical Team to ensure that the concrete supplied met the customers high expectations and performed as expected.

This ensured that the right colours and specifications arrived at the correct time to complete the complex pours for the contoured skate ramps and floors. TOPTINT proved to be an ideal choice for this design, combining striking colours with the smooth, low texture finish required and long-lasting durability.

The skate park designer and their client were delighted with the finish achieved:

“The aim of our Cann Hall Skatepark project, commissioned by London Borough of Waltham Forest, was to create a bustling hub of activity by replacing an old worn out steel framed timber skatepark with a modern concrete facility.

"The project brief looked for a unique solution that surpassed generic skatepark design, both physically and visually. The concept design we created drew inspiration from the urban environment, our own Scandinavian design principles, and the local area and its vibrant community.

"From the outset our design was rooted around a golden rail running through the park, which took its inspiration from local draughtsman Harry Becks world famous London tube map. The skatepark elements are dotted along the golden rail like stops along a tube line, laden with opportunity.

“We employed JB Riney to assist with tricky site access requirements and groundworks for the project. Their professional working practice and locality to the project made them a perfect working partner, and allowed our skatepark specialists to focus their attention on the skatepark’s details and finish. JB Riney were able to use their connections through the Tarmac group to employ Euromix to supply the specialist skatepark concrete for the project.

“To create the golden rail we worked closely with Euromix to create a bespoke pigmented concrete that would offer both the high tolerance requirements for a fine polished and hard wearing skate-surface, as well as a vibrant colour to break up the monotony of grey concrete that can be oh-so too common in skateparks.

"In addition to the golden rail we also designed a large black panel in the skateparks floor, offering further contrast to the grey and gold, and an enhanced sensory experience for users. We were extremely pleased with the process of close collaboration with Euromix, and the end results far surpass all expectations. Euromix created for us a product that had fantastic workability, even in challenging conditions, and a bold and vibrant finish.

“The project has been fantastically received and is being widely celebrated for its innovation within the concrete skatepark world. The skatepark has already drawn in skateboarders from across the country including a plethora of professional riders. We look forward to a continual partnership with Euromix to make skateparks that are more positive, and more colourful places to be!”

Daryl Nobbs, Director/Designer/Finisher, Betongpark Limited