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New urban park unveiled

Battery Park, the latest outdoor offering from the V&A Waterfront, was opened this weekend.

Battery Park is an urban park recently constructed in the V&A Waterfront’s Canal District, which aims to “integrate Cape Town’s CBD and the V&A Waterfront through a series of pedestrian routes, including one alongside the canal”, the V&A says in a
statement.

Visitors to the park will also be able to engage in a range of outdoor recreation, entertainment and retail activities in various levels of public spaces.

One of the elements of the urban park is a new skate park.

Waterfront spokesperson, Donald Kau, says: “Our skate park includes a combination of various skate and scooter elements including a bowl with spine and pump hump, quarter pipes, layback bank, gaps, a small plaza with hubbas and rails, a frame set and a long ledge and rail. It was designed by California Skateparks in the USA with local input from our very own local talent Marc Baker at CA Skateparks Africa, with offices in Cape Town. Our overarching vision was to provide a functional, convenient, comfortable, safe and unrestricted space with recreational activities for all age groups.”

The 12 000m² park can be accessed from either Dock Road, Fort Road, Ebenezer Road or Alfred Street.

A four-storey public parking facility is constructed beneath the park with entrances via Alfred Street or Dock Road.

Battery Park is on the site of Amsterdam Battery, which was constructed by the Dutch in 1784 to defend Table Bay Harbour from attack from enemy ships.

In 1827 the Battery was converted by the British to house prisoners from the Eastern Cape Frontier wars. The Battery was substantially remodelled by the British in 1882 and strengthened in 1879 with surplus material from the Breakwater quarry. In 1898 it was disbanded. It was partially demolished in 1905 to make way for the harbour and railway network extensions into the dock area.

“The site is of archaeological importance as it still contains the rear ramparts of the historical Amsterdam Battery, one of the oldest structures in Cape Town. Archaeological digs of the area were undertaken prior to construction of the park, and they uncovered the two circular walls which have been retained,” the statement reads.

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