Freemove - Westminster Academy Sports Centre L.E.A.P.
January 2012
Westminster Academy Sports Centre L.E.A.P.
In December 2011 Freemove successfully project managed the manufacture and installation of the London Experience of Art du deplacement and Parkour (L.E.A.P.) Training Facility at Westminster Academy Sports Centre.
The world’s largest outdoor managed Parkour Facility is the result of Freemove working in conjunction with Parkour UK and Westminster City Council over numerous years.
The Freemove facility is an iconic flagship facility that will provide Parkour with a platform to develop further, capitalising on the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
The original concept design of the facility was conceived by Stephane Vigroux from Parkour UK. The Freemove team then took the concept and in conjunction with Stephane Vigroux, Eugene Minogue and Westminster City Council brought the project to life.
The Freemove team then project managed the entire installation to ensure that the final facility met the high standards our clients expect us to deliver.
The Freemove facility is attached to the Westminster Academy Sports Centre and is used as a managed facility, resulting in a controlled environment and a new way for people to experience Parkour. It has also been combined with recent changes to the national curriculum at the Academy to provide an educational alternative to traditional sports.
The facility includes an arrangement of Freemove walls and platforms with varying textures that vary in height, a series of stride pillars and a porous safety surface that absorbs impact well without being too soft to affect the overall experience of the practitioner.
The size, space and quality of our obstacles ensures the facility contains a wealth of movement potential and has lead to its recognition as the new level of technical capability for Parkour Facilities worldwide.
“Parkour UK is delighted to have worked in partnership with Westminster Council on L.E.A.P. This is the result of many years of hard work and dedication, which has resulted in the world’s largest outdoor managed Parkour facility.
It is an iconic flagship facility that will provide the sport with a platform to develop even further, capitalising on the Olympic Games coming to London next year.
I’d also like to thank the design team and the appointed building contractors in delivering a very innovative facility to a very high quality.”
- Eugene Minogue, Westminster City Council
“The park was a lot of fun to train on and I think this arrangement is going to have a knock on effect with other new parks around the world.
I’m most keen on the variation of the concrete obstacles; I think the different distances, heights and textures make the experience more of a challenge, which is great.
I also really liked the landing surface because it’s good at helping your joints absorb impact from height.”
- Olivia Rowlands, Professional Traceur
The official opening of the facility was held on Friday 6th January 2012. In attendance were various officials involved with the project, representatives from Parkour Generations, Parkour UK and Westminster Academy, various media outlets and of course the Freemove team.
For more information, images and video of this Freemove Parkour Training Facility please visit our website www.freemove.co.uk/portfolio.html