The newly-presented at Centre Pompidou, “skating sculpture” Cycloïd Piazza designed by French artist Raphaël Zarka has been labeled as part of the Paris 2024‘s Olympiade Culturelle (Cultural Olympiad). As skateboarding continues its Olympics presence four years after its Tokyo debut, the installation of a skatepark corresponds to the anticipation of the upcoming Games.
Designed in collaboration with architect Jean-Benoît Vétillard, Cycloïd Piazza, also called the “skate plaza” merges both arts and sports. This sculpture is designed not only as an art piece but as a fully functional skatepark with colorful ramps, pipes, and verts to be used by both professional and amateur skateboarders alike.
And yet, this is not a mere sports structure either, as it represents the street culture and its multifaceted arts. Geometric shapes and bright colors here create a structure where visitors can not only skate but also walk using stairs and corridors or spend time with friends on podiums. This 600-square-meter project with its curves, shapes, and spaces is a playground for people of different ages.
“Skateboarding has the particular ability to indelibly mark the way you apprehend shapes and spaces. The word ‘Piazza’ suggests a change of scale: my sculpture was designed as a space, an area within an area, a piazza on a piazza.”
– Raphaël Zarka
Created in partnership with Nike, Cycloïde Piazza is unique in its trailblazing use of the cycloid curve in a skateboard infrastructure, hence the name of the art piece.
Luckily, the skatepark will be open even after the end of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Those interested have an opportunity to visit the artwork until September 15 from 11 AM to 8 PM. What’s more, once there two moderators will be present to answer any questions regarding the project and its program.
