🛹 Don’t Kill Kenny!
Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition urging
@lambeth_council to continue with its plans to restore Kennington Park’s historic 1970s skatebowl, as C20 Society has backed the grassroots campaign.
The
@friendsofkenningtonpark have been working with the Council for more than 5 years to bring ‘The Kenny’ back into full use, after its condition steadily declined and it has become increasingly unsafe to ride. Funding and contractors to deliver a restoration scheme were in place earlier this year, but the Council are now considering abandoning the project.
Constructed by the The Great Outdoors Company and opened in 1978, Kennington Bowl rode a new wave of popularity in Britain for skating culture during the late 70’s and was funded by a £15 million GLC grant to counter issues of urban decay. It utilised the ‘Radical Banking’ system, developed by Lorne Edwards to make skateparks out of pre-cast modules, which could be readily assembled on site. This aimed to avoid the poor design and shoddy construction that plagued some other early examples and as such, is unique in UK skatepark architecture.
A Lambeth spokesperson commented:
“In light of the council’s financial position, and our responsibility to ensure we can protect the frontline services relied on by our most vulnerable residents, capital projects across Lambeth have been paused - this includes the skate park.”
The heritage of early skate architecture has come increasingly into focus over the past decade, with the Rom Skatepark in Hornchurch listed Grade II in 2015 and the Livi Skatepark in Livingston listed Category B in 2024, the first to be nationally designated in England and Scotland respectively.
🗳️ Click the link in our bio to sign and share the petition to Save the Kenny Skatebowl, ahead of the next crunch council meeting on Nov 24th.
Images :
1. Graeme ‘Mac’ McEachran at the Kenny, 1987 © Tim Leighton-Boyce, R.a.D
2. Shane O’Brien & Chris Lonergan at the Kenny, 1988
© Tim Leighton-Boyce, R.a.D
3. Photogrammetry of the Kenny © ArtFletch
4. Radical Banking illustration, courtesy Iain Borden
5. The Kenny in 1978, courtesy Iain Borden
#readanddestroyarchive #kenningtonbowl