Tony Hawk-supported skate park opens in downtown Detroit

A new skate park and public art installation has officially opened in downtown Detroit for the remainder of the year. Wayfinding, a collaboration between skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, artist Ryan McGinness, Bedrock, Quicken Loans, the Library Street Collective, and the Cranbrook Art Museum. It was built by George Leichtweis of Modern Skate and Surf.

Our photographers Michelle and Chris Gerard stopped by on Wednesday, its first day open to the public.

The park has six skateable elements plus a viewing area for spectators. It’s located next to the National Theatre, at Farmer Street and Monroe, where Bedrock plans to build new office towers and residential in the coming years.

Hawk repurposed ramps, benches, and rails for the park, while McGinness used signs that, “normally dictate behavior with a universally understood visual language and undermines those forms with surreal and absurd imagery.”

The park is free and open 12 p.m.—8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 12 p.m.—11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Here are few more scenes from its first day.