The new playground in Scalo San Lorenzo in Rome is hosting the highly anticipated 2021 Red Bull Half-Court final on Saturday 16^th October. The leading international players of this increasingly popular game of 3-a-side street-basketball will be facing off on the court of excellence created by the street-artist Piskv (Francesco Persichella) and constructed using technology and products by Mapei, technical partner for the event.

A genuine example of urban art, the basketball court in Rome was built thanks to Mapecoat TNS Race Track technology by Mapei which allowed the artist to transform his design into a court with particularly high performance properties, including excellent resistance to slip and exceptional aesthetic qualities, in bright colours that remain durable over time. To complete and fully protect the design, which at around 800 m² is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, the surfaces were also treated with Mapecoat TNS Protection two-component, transparent protective finish.

This project in Scalo San Lorenzo represents another example of the highly fruitful partnership between Mapei and Red Bull, which has already led to the creation of a court in the Graziella Fava gardens in Bologna, with artwork from the Truly Design Crew1^[1]. A partnership in art and sport that also has considerable social merit. Apart from featuring the creative artwork of young artists, both these surface are located in areas of the city that are being redeveloped, as confirmed by the interest shown by Mapei and Red Bull in operating in urban contexts to make rundown areas more accessible, safer and more durable.

Unlike simple colouring systems, Mapecoat TNS Race Track technology allows highly durable, non-slip surfaces to be created that maintain their surface roughness over the years, including in wet weather. From an aesthetic point of view, the wide range of colours available – combined with the other shades available using the ColorMap automatic colouring system - allow bespoke, personalised colours to be created. What is more, only with the artistic creativity of Mapei can colours be created without waste, thanks to the system’s ability to mix numerous different colours in small batches.