Beaumont-du-Lac Skatepark (OTRO) – A Glowing Skateable Sculpture in France

OTRO, also known as the Beaumont-du-Lac Skatepark, is one of the most unusual skateable spaces in the world. Located on Île de Vassivière in the middle of Lake Vassivière in France, OTRO is not a conventional skatepark but a permanent concrete sculpture created by Korean artist Koo Jeong A.

Designed as a place where art, landscape and skateboarding could merge, OTRO consists of a flowing composition of bowls, a cradle and interconnected tunnels. Rather than following the traditional layout of a skatepark, the sculpture rises and falls organically through the surrounding meadow, creating a landscape that feels more like a series of sculpted waves than a collection of skate obstacles.

The project grew out of Koo Jeong A's relationship with Vassivière. During her 2007–2008 exhibition Oussseux at the Centre international d'art et du paysage, the artist became fascinated by the island's mysterious winter landscapes and its dreamlike atmosphere. OTRO developed from that experience, translating the character of the island into a skateable form.

The shape of the sculpture was influenced by the sinuous forms of the lake shore. Koo Jeong A began with drawings exploring relationships between circles, which were then transformed into the different-sized bowls, cradle and tunnels of the finished work. The result is deliberately irregular and fluid, encouraging riders to explore the connections between the different sections rather than simply moving from one obstacle to another.

One of OTRO's most striking characteristics is its phosphorescent green concrete. During the day the sculpture appears as a vivid green form sitting quietly in the grass. After dark, however, the surface glows, transforming the skatepark into an almost otherworldly landscape. The phosphorescent finish was designed to allow the artwork to interact with changing light and create a completely different experience at night without relying on conventional electric lighting.

The technical development was carried out in collaboration with L’Escaut Architectures, which coordinated the project and developed its technical design. Structural engineering was provided by Ney & Partners, while the skate collectives Brusk and Barricade were involved to help ensure that the sculpture worked as a genuine skateable environment. The project is listed at 212 m², with a reported budget of €226,000 excluding VAT.

OTRO was commissioned by the Regional Council of Limousin for the Centre international d'art et du paysage de l'île de Vassivière, with support from the French Ministry of Culture and DRAC Limousin. The work became part of the island's sculpture landscape and was presented as an artwork to be experienced rather than simply observed.

For skateboarders, the appeal of OTRO is obvious: the smooth concrete curves, bowls, cradle and tunnels create a very different kind of riding experience. But the project also challenges the idea of what a skatepark can be. Here, skateboarding is not something added to a public space after the fact — it is part of the artwork itself.

OTRO has since become an important reference point for the relationship between contemporary art and skateboarding. Koo Jeong A went on to create other glow-in-the-dark skateable environments around the world, but OTRO remains a particularly important project in her work: a place where riders can literally skate the landscape.

Set among the trees and meadows of Île de Vassivière, with Lake Vassivière surrounding the island, OTRO is as much a destination for exploring art and landscape as it is for riding. It demonstrates how a skatepark can become something much more than a collection of obstacles — it can become architecture, sculpture and public space at the same time.