House of Vans skate and culture hub goes underground in London
by Katie Buckley | 15 Aug 2014
Two dedicated tunnels will offer concrete bowls, mini ramps and a street course for professional sporting events as well as personal use / House of Vans
Designed by Tim Greatrex, the new House of Vans Park entertainment hub has opened to the public after over a year of work.
Located in the tunnels under London's Waterloo Station, the 30,000sq ft (9,144sq m) venue will showcase an art gallery, a VansLab artist incubator space, cinema, live music venue, café and bars, gifting suite, plus a skater built and designed concrete bowl, mini ramp and street course.
Two of the five tunnels on the site were previously occupied by the Old Vic Theatre – these have been dedicated to skating alone – while the rest of the venue features are located in the remaining three spaces:
-Tunnel One will be the home of the new art gallery, with different shows in the space every eight weeks.
-Tunnel Two features the cinema screening room - with seating for 100 - and several creative spaces.
-Tunnel Three holds an impressive 850 capacity music venue - as well as the venue's main bar.
Tunnel Three
As London’s only permanent indoor skatepark, the brand's ‘Off The Wall’ spirit should bring some hope to the skating community after the constant battle over the nearby South Bank Undercroft Skatepark, which saw plans submitted in 2013 proposing its closure and relocation.
With neon lights, rugged concrete, and an American feel, the new House of Vans London has embodied skateboarding culture and creativity in one venue, following in the footsteps of its Brooklyn, US, attraction.
Jeremy de Maillard from House of Vans commented: “London is the perfect city to expand this original concept, first established in Brooklyn, and it’s an honour to take over this iconic venue from the Old Vic. We’re looking forward to building on this legacy, working closely with the local communities and key stakeholders involved in the project.”
Designed by Tim Greatrex, the new House of Vans Park entertainment hub has opened to the public after over a year of work. Located in the tunnels under London's Waterloo Station, the 30,000sq ft (9,144sq m) venue will showcase an art gallery, a VansLab artist incubator space, cinema, live music venue, café and bars, gifting suite, plus a skater built and designed concrete bowl, mini ramp and street course. Two
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