F51 Sports Park

by Hollaway Studio 

Client  The Sports Trust 

Awards RIBA South East Award 2023, RIBA South East Building of the Year Award 2023 (sponsored by EH Smith), RIBA South East Client of the Year Award 2023. Shortlisted for the Stephen Lawrence Prize 2023

Located on a traffic gyratory in Folkestone, F51 Sports Park is the world’s first multi-storey skatepark. Funded by local philanthropist Sir Roger De Haan, it provides a space for nurturing young people through sport on their own terms. 

Appearing on approach as a shimmering aluminium vessel with glimpses of the tangerine-orange structure within, F51 looks like nothing else. Home to three floors of skating, a climbing wall, and a boxing club, as well as the social and multifunctional spaces that you would expect, there is a tangible buzz to the place. 

Read the full citation from the RIBA Awards Jury on RIBA Journal.

Contractor Jenner Group 

Structural Engineer Ramboll 

Environmental / M&E Engineer Atelier 10 

Quantity Surveyor / Cost Consultant Betteridge and Milsom 

Lighting Design Atelier 10 

Gross internal area in m2 3250