The Skateable City is a spinoff of the project What a Mess done in collaboration with Hugo Pilate. The project was first presented during Rotterdam Architecture Month 2023.

It consists in making digitally skatable environments from 3D scans of the physical public space. Using Polycam, 3D captures of objects and spaces found in the public space are imported into a modified version of the popular skateboarding video game, Skater XL. Allowing us to skate in areas previously deemed unskateable, construct surreal skate spots, and perform tricks that were once limited to imagination.

I’m currently looking for venues/events that would want to host the project. It can take the shape of a 2 hour walkshop (including 3D scanning, building a virtual skate spot and digitally skating it) or a public presentation/ installation where visitors can play the videogame with 3D scans captured in their city.

It combines the original project’s ethos to “explore the untapped narrative potential of the urban fabric” with the DIY spirit of creative appropriation of space both found in the skateboarding and game modding communities. All this while exploring topics of creative appropriation, accessibility and urban (in)hospitality in the public space.

Importing custom assets to SkaterXL is made possible by XLObjectdropper mod by MCBTay