Daugavpils Unity Square Ice Rink 2018/19

The 2018/19 winter project in Daugavpils transformed Unity Square into a seasonal public ice attraction with more than a conventional rectangular rink. The installation combined a main real-ice area with an approximately 120 m connected skating path running through the landscaped city-centre environment.

This makes the project a valuable reference for municipalities and destination operators interested in creating a skating experience rather than simply installing a standard rink.

Project at a glance

From rink to winter destination

A standard rectangle concentrates visitors in one area. A connected skating path changes the experience: movement becomes part of the attraction, visitors travel through the public space and the rink can interact more strongly with lighting, landscape and seasonal programming.

For a city, this can increase the perceived value of the project without simply increasing one rectangular ice footprint.

A skating path changes the technical design

Connected routes introduce different engineering questions from one open rink:

• narrower ice sections;
• curves and changing geometry;
• longer hydraulic routes;
• different board or edge conditions;
• limited resurfacer access;
• more complex supervision;
• pedestrian crossings and public-space interfaces;
• variable shading, wind and solar exposure along the route.

Practical lesson: an ice path is not a decorative extension to a finished rink. It must be engineered as part of the refrigeration, circulation and maintenance concept from the beginning.

SkateWay®-type concepts are designed for this kind of geometry

AST SkateWay® technology is specifically intended for paths, curves and connected ice zones. Current standard connection widths include 0.5 / 1.0 / 2.5 m, with mat lengths of 10 / 20 / 30 m.

A modern project inspired by Daugavpils could therefore compare conventional flexible EPDM and SkateWay® modules according to geometry, installation frequency, hydraulic layout and seasonal storage.

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Hydraulics become more complex as the route becomes longer

With an extended skating path, the refrigeration system has to maintain sufficiently uniform conditions across both the main rink and the connected route.

Engineering should consider:

• circuit length;
• pressure drop;
• flow balance;
• manifold placement;
• air removal;
• temperature uniformity;
• whether different zones need separate hydraulic control.

A long, narrow path can behave differently from a broad rectangular rink, so zoning may be more appropriate than treating the complete attraction as one identical hydraulic field.

Resurfacing is one of the first questions for a connected route

A powered resurfacer that works well on a broad rink may not fit or turn on a narrow skating path.

The maintenance plan should define:

• which zones can be reached by the main resurfacer;
• which sections require smaller or manual equipment;
• where snow is removed;
• how the route is temporarily closed during maintenance;
• how quickly the surface can be restored between busy periods.

Custom geometry is successful only when the daily maintenance method is practical.

Visitor circulation becomes part of safety

A connected route changes how skaters move. Faster and slower users may mix differently than on an open rink, and narrow sections can become natural bottlenecks.

A new project should consider:

• route width;
• direction of travel;
• entry and exit locations;
• beginner areas;
• rest points;
• staff visibility;
• emergency access;
• crossings with pedestrians;
• lighting and signage.

For a public-space attraction, these details influence both safety and visitor satisfaction.

Free access changes the capacity model

The documented project offered the rink and skate rental free of charge. That creates a different visitor-flow challenge from ticketed sessions.

Without paid session control, the organiser may need other ways to manage peak demand, for example:

• controlled skate issue;
• limited session duration during busy periods;
• separate beginner / family times;
• queue management;
• staff-controlled entry;
• temporary capacity reduction during resurfacing.

The commercial model therefore affects the operating model even when the ice technology itself does not change.

Outdoor load varies along the route

A long skating path can pass through areas with different sun, wind and surrounding-building exposure. This can create local heat-load differences.

For a new project, the refrigeration design should review:

• direct solar exposure along the complete route;
• areas shaded by buildings or trees;
• wind corridors;
• rainwater behaviour;
• surface drainage;
• temperature differences between open and sheltered zones.

The route should not be sized from total square metres alone.

What a municipality can learn from Daugavpils

1. Public ice can be a place-making tool. A connected route can create more experience than a larger rectangle alone.
2. Geometry must be engineered early. Hydraulics, boards, resurfacing and supervision all change with a path.
3. Visitor flow is part of the technical brief. Narrow routes need circulation rules and staff visibility.
4. Operating model matters. Free access may require different crowd-control methods from ticketed sessions.
5. Maintenance must be practical. Every section of the route needs a realistic resurfacing method.

When a Daugavpils-type concept may be a strong fit

This approach may suit:

• city-centre squares;
• parks;
• hotel and resort landscapes;
• shopping or leisure destinations;
• Christmas markets;
• sites where architecture or landscape makes a standard rectangle less attractive;
• projects seeking a distinctive visitor experience rather than a sport-standard rink.

SPORTWAVE perspective

Daugavpils demonstrates that seasonal ice can be designed around movement and place. SPORTWAVE can develop connected ice zones, paths and custom layouts using the technology, refrigeration, boards and maintenance strategy appropriate to the specific site.

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