Designed by Tim Greatrex, the new House of Vans Park entertainment hub has opened to the London public. Located in the tunnels under London’s Waterloo Station, this 30,000 square foot venue will house an art gallery, a VansLab artist space, a cinema, music venue, café and bars, gifting suite, plus a skater built and designed concrete bowl, mini ramp and street course. It will be London’s only permanent indoor skatepark. So far.

With neon lights, rugged concrete, and that California feel, the new House of Vans London is a capsule of skateboarding culture and creativity in one venue, following in the footsteps of its Brooklyn, US, attraction. In Brooklyn, the brand hosts free concerts and has an indoor skatepark.

The extension over the Atlantic of the brand’s core mission and values represents a big step for the company. Buildings and projects like this are the intersection of brand statements and experience design. The blend of immersive environments, technology-enhanced experiences, and a brand giving to their audience is the type of behavior that increases engagement. Vans is in a unique position to tap into an audience that has been well developed since the company’s founding in 1966.

This is how the website for the skatepark puts it:

The House of Vans in London is the physical manifestation of the culture and creativity that have defined the Vans brand since 1966.

The lessons learned by Vans are indicative of what other brands are capable of. By starting small and learning their audience, Vans has spent years speaking to a ready audience that is open and receptive to what they are offering. Their efforts are authentic, real, and based on a true attempt to start and maintain a conversation.

Read about and see some more images on designboom