Skate Places: Recovery and occupation of disused urban spaces

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Yesporciento is an architecture and research study founded by Sebastián Castro, architect and skateboarder.From Chile, your interests are around strategies to maximize and strengthen public and collective space through the skateboarding phenomenon.Next, Castro presents his most recent analysis focused on observing, registering and representing some cultural manifestations related to the recovery and occupation of urban spaces in disuse, defining three cases within the urban area of Santiago.

Text Courtesy of the author.The skateboarder observes and perceives the city, its spaces and components in a completely different way from that of a common pedestrian.This is based on the discovery of different values and meanings immersed in them, that through technique and body movement, they convert surfaces into fields of action and sports.This creative ability to resignify the city gives it a totally new dimension, where the skateboarder considers buildings, environments and their waste as facilitators of social, cultural and sports autonomy.Consequently, the creation of “DIY” spaces (do it yourself) used by Skateboarders, promote new ways to occupy urban disuse spaces that are directly related to the constant processes of transformation, expansion, reinvention and development of the city.

The community organization and self -management of local and external actors has detonated in the recovery and occupation of these spaces in disuse of cleaning days, raffles for the financing and construction of spots, donations and an important sense of belonging, creating vibrant communities that transform the spacescity residuals in safe and added value, where sports, social, artistic and cultural expressions are protagonists.

CASE 01 / DIY "NO BUSTA"

"Do not bust" the first skate place in research, located near the Inés de Suárez Park and the Modern Architecture Towers of Antonio Varas, takes its name as a result of the temporal closure of the "Busta" (Skatepark Diy located in Park Bustamante, Providencia)Due to the sanitary restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.This place reached its greatest popularity and appropriation in the mid -2020, going from being a automotive to a residual space and under this last condition the perfect scenario for the cultural development of skateboarding.

The investigation takes this first case study because its ephemeral condition was present, for logistical reasons and the health context ensured the closure of this DIY at the end of 2020.It is currently evicted and under construction for real estate project.

Typology: DIY (Self-Management) Managers: IG.@no_busta_oficial_spot_ocultosarea Total: 1.652 m2location: Antonio Varas 1215, Providencia, Chile.Year: 2019-2020video: Diana Flores

CASE 02 / DIY TRACK THE HUG - GALPON MOVEMENT

Second Skate Place in Research, located on the periphery of Santiago, specifically in Villa el Esgrazo, commune of Maipú.This place, which was previously an industrial services factory that borders the well -known industrial cord of Camino Melipilla and faces a few meters from the El Hugo residential town, became a residual space in abandonment and focus of insecurity for the community.Consequently and a few years ago, a group of local skaters organized themselves to recover the place, carry out cleaning work and use space with the development, practice and culture of skateboarding.

Due to the temporary closure of the shed at the beginning of the Pandemia by COVID-19, a group of skaters decided to intervene and consolidate the outer slab to give continuity to the use of space.The initiative was shaped under the logic of building new spot recycling the materials found in the illegal dump located behind shed by AV.Three west.

Due to the motivation and potential resources found there, “Recycla Spot” is born a project that seeks to maximize spaces for skateboarding with recycled materials.

Typology: DIY (Self -management) Managers: IG.@Mggalpon - @Totor Pistalabrazoárea: 1.860 m2location: AV 3 Poniente 1147, Maipú, Chile.Year: Since 2017video: Pablo Letelier

CASE 03 / DIY "KAYSER SPOT"

Third skate place in investigation, located in the north -west area of Santiago specifically in the commune of Renca.This place for years was a winery center and administration office of the “Kayser” textile company, which is located in an industrial zone of the commune to the side of the Amb International Airport.On October 20, 2019, within the framework of the social outbreak in Chile, there is a controversial fire that almost completely destroys the winery center.In November of that same year, a group of local skaters discovered the potential of this place.Motivated by their history and physical space, they join to carry out cleaning and construction work of the first spots, with the purpose of recovering the space and establishing a community of meeting, organization and memory around the skateboarding and sinking.

Under the M2 available in space, managers have triggered a mix of uses that house complementary or parallel activities to the practice of skateboarding, generating the interest of neighbors as well as people from other communes, areas and groups to make use of thespace, using it as a resource in order to create meeting spaces, exploration of artistic, cultural and sports practices.

At present, it works firmly to maintain and enhance the growth of space, with the aim of giving citizens the possibility of appropriating this and doing their best to keep memory and respect for those who fought and were killed in the fireOctober 20.

Typology: DIY (Self -management) Managers: IG.@KaySersPotarea Total: 16.202 m2location: AV.Miraflores 8402, Renca, Chile.Year: Since March 2020video: Felipe Huenchuñuñequipo Research: Gabriela Valdes + Lucas Ormazábal + Sebastian Castro