The Spohn Ranch family is proud to announce that our latest Los Angeles design/build project, Hansen Dam Skatepark, is officially open as of last week. Several long months in the making, the joyous experience of taking down the construction fencing was only surpassed by our predictable next step…riding the park!
Working with our 10+ year client, Los Angeles Recreation and Parks, the new facility at Hansen Dam Park is a state-of-the-art space unlike any other in the area. The well rounded space blends the multiple genres of skate terrain in a cutting-edge fashion by anchoring the park’s entrance with a unique bowl and snaking street-inspired features around a landscaped area in the center of the park.
The 8,800 square foot concrete skatepark features integral colored concrete, granite-capped ledges and brick stamped banks. With a 2,500 square foot flow bowl, the park also speaks to a somewhat neglected LA action sports subculture – transition skaters.
Working in the City of LA is challenging to say the least. It is one of the strictest and most expensive building environments in the nation, where only financially stable and well-staffed firms can survive. This project in particular presented several unique hurdles that while challenging at the time, helped us emerge as a wiser and more well-rounded firm – prepared to tackle the toughest of site constraints and most complex of logistical riddles.
To capture the true beauty of this space, we commissioned our good friend and staff photographer for Etnies, Sam McGuire, to shoot some photos of the park. Not to one to show up empty-handed, Sam arrived with Alien Workshop’s up-and-coming amateur rider Kevin Terpening and a few friends, who were all eager to skate the park.
In speaking with Kevin and friends, they really enjoyed the park’s unique circular flow and diversity of terrain.
An official grand opening ceremony hosted by the City of Los Angeles is in the works, so stay tuned for a time and date. Until then, we hope to see you out at the park!
