What happens when you hand over a 100-year old church to an artist and give them free rein? A colorful indoor skate park, named La Iglesia Skate is born. Located in the Spanish municipality of Llanera, Kaos Temple, as it’s known, has become a destination for skateboarders around the world with its one-of-a-kind interior painted by artist Okuda San Miguel.
The church had been purchased in recent years by a collective known as the Church Brigade and when they acquired it, it was in dire condition. They launched an online crowd funding campaign to raise money in hopes of rehabilitating it and turning it into a skate park and cultural destination.
Madrid-based street artist Okuda San Miguel visited the church in late 2014 and was impressed with what they’d done with the space. He visualized a concept for the space that included painting the walls and ceilings, which displays a recurring figure, his iconic Kaos Star. The star is a colorful and asymmetric compass that’s meant to say it doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, just to follow your own direction to reach your goals. That led to the project being called, Kaos Temple.
Over the course of seven days, the artist (like a modern Michelangelo!) completed the project and The Skate Church was opened on December 10th. The refreshed space is like a kaleidoscope of colors that bring new life to the once rundown structure.
La Iglesia Skate was produced by Ink and Movement and Iniciativas Habitat, in collaboration with Church Brigade. The project was sponsored by Red Bull, as well as Miller Division, Montana Colors, and Socketines.
Photos by Elchino Pomares.
