Dec 1, 2026
LOT-EK lectures at RIT Vignelli Center, Rochester
concept & vision
we select a steel water tank as the perfect shell for an indoor skateboard facility with its sloping, continuous curved surface. Exploiting the curvature of the tank walls, we configure an interconnected system of ramps for continuous gliding
design & architecture
the tank is placed directly on the ground. Its perimeter is perforated by other objects to encourage social interaction and gathering, with a dense repetition of vending machines, lockers and seating alcoves that run along an interior 360-degree walkway
program & use
the path is located at the top of the skating ramps, and it is animated by graphics and light. 40-foot shipping containers serve as entrance and exit tunnels; 20-foot shipping containers house offices and bathrooms. The whole inner surface of the tank is coated with white epoxy to be used as a spherical projection screen, introducing the skaters into virtual landscapes
impact & significance
reimagining how to use a municipal water tank, to explore its inner world, to propose a new inner world
