In collaboration with sub-consultant Reværk, arki_lab are the architects behind Street Hub Kolding as part of MEREGADE (MORESTREET) – a programme developed and owned by the NGO and street sports organisation GAME. MEREGADE aims to strengthen and democratise street sports through the development of five innovative ‘Street Hubs’. Kolding Street Hub is one of these five facilities and is located in the historical courtyard at Nicolai Kultur in the centre of Kolding. 

An inclusive urban environment  
Based on close engagement with young people in Kolding, we have designed a courtyard environment that makes street culture and street sports accessible to a broader group of children and young people, across levels of experience, backgrounds, and gender. To achieve this, the design is based on a zone-based organisation into activity and stay areas, allowing users across age groups and skill levels to coexist and engage side by side. Click here to read more about the design principles behind Street Hub Kolding.

A key aspect of the project is that the courtyard at Nicolai Culture functions as an area for urban life and culture. Street Hub Kolding is therefore designed as a multifunctional urban space that interacts with the existing functions of the site rather than operating as isolated sports facilities. One example is how skateable elements are integrated as edges between asphalt and grass beds, instead of being implemented as conventional skate ramps. This creates a flexible courtyard that, besides being a Street Hub, first and foremost is an urban space for everyone that hosts multiple simultaneous activities such as skating, social gathering, dance, stay and cultural events. 

Reuse is street 
Street sports have historically taken place in the city’s existing backyards, streets, and squares. In the design of Street Hub Kolding, we have worked with existing elements in the courtyard, demolition materials from the surrounding area, and reused materials from the municipal Materialbank to create a raw material palette that embodies the spirit and aesthetic that has defined street sports worldwide. At the same time, the use of reclaimed materials helps reduce the project’s environmental footprint.

Challenging traditional tendering model 
In addition to work with engagement and reused materials, the process also challenged the traditional tendering model. Early on, we brought the contractor, Dalgas, on board. From that point, we were able to gather architects, GAME, contractors, and Kolding Municipality around the same table, developing the project collaboratively through interdisciplinary expertise. It has been an exciting and educational process which, besides strengthening the project's ultimate impact, stands as a tribute to our vision that collaboration at eye level is the way forward.

Click here to read about Street Hub Gilleleje
Click here to read about arki_labs engagement in MEREGADE