Huge skateable sculpture is now in front of Centre Pompidou in Paris

Created by French artist and skater Raphaël Zarka in collaboration with Nike as part of the cultural Olympiad in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics, “Cycloïde Piazza” is both a skate park and a work of art, merging contemporary art and sport.

With its 600 square meters, the colorful structure offers a ramp and a typical “bowl” for skateboarding, scootering, rollerblading, or BMX. It also features grandstands, stairs, corridors, and podiums where visitors can walk, rest, and meet, bringing together experts, enthusiasts, and the curious. Zarka described his work as a “sort of laboratory for experimenting with different types of curves.” It is no coincidence that the work is named after a specific type of curve, the “cycloid,” which according to the artist, is the fastest in the world and the first to be introduced into a skating infrastructure. The work will be open every day from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM until September 15.