The fun started, for me at least, when I googled Ingólfstorg. I got a cool article about the plaza's history (sorry, it's in Icelandic, but with lots of b/w photos...and I don't have the time to translate it), its international renown as a skate spot (see here - it's got a funbox!- and here - "NO problem with the police...there is a 8 step stairs, where you can grind the steps, and the steps are a little gap!!") and the fact that 68 submissions have been received by the City for its redesign (unfortunately also only in Icelandic, but you can download - or read in Google Docs - the PDF of the Redesign Competition guidelines.)
Though pretty much everyone agrees that the plaza is a total design failure as far as enticing humans to enjoy it (and other wildlife as well!) I'm sure skaters will be super unhappy to see it turned into something new, because we all know without having to ask that out of those 68 submissions, not one incorporates room for any kind of bling or flair by boarders. I'll go ahead and link this video of some locals doing the torg for posterity's sake, and also so you can hear how well young Icelanders swear in English...they've hardly even got an accent! : )
The winners of the first round of the design competition will be announced next week, on Leap Day, and I, for one, am really interested in seeing the results.
2 comments:
I grew up skating at Ingólfstorg, there is no place in Iceland as dear to me as this plaza, if I should choose, the destruction of ether Ingólfstorg or Gullfoss I would definitely choose Gullfoss. By my opinion it is one of europe´s 10 best skatespots. If they ruin it to build a Hotel I will seriously consider to move from Iceland. Why all these hotels if there is no life left in the city?
Grímur, so glad you wrote! I fully agree that we havve to watch out for sucking the life out of our little city in the name of tourist cash (see this post for more on that...)
Skate or Die!
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