The Country’s Greatest Playgrounds – Brought to you by IPEMA and the Voice of Play
September 12, 2017The Country’s Greatest Playgrounds – Brought to you by IPEMA and the Voice of Play
November 15, 2017The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and the Voice of Play asked our membership to help us feature some of their favorite projects, sharing “great playgrounds” of all shapes and sizes.
Join us as we continue our journey to see the exciting, colorful and creative projects our members have shared with us! These playground submissions span the globe and we hope they inspire families to visit a “great playground” in their community. Click here to view the previous feature from IPEMA member GWG Wood Group and check out the next submission below!
IPEMA member Berliner Seilfabrik GmbH & Co. has over 40 years of experience in the playground industry and has an extensive knowledge of rope manufacturing, as many can see from their playground landscapes which include many rope designs. The company lives by their tagline, “Play Equipment for Life,” because that is how its employees think and what they believe in. Berliner Seilfabrik playgrounds are made to last for decades, so each generation can enjoy play and movement. Aware of their carbon footprint, Berliner uses aluminum that is 85% recycled pre- and post-consumer material and steel that is made from 70% post-consumer recycled steel. To learn more about their sustainability values and how they “work green,” please click here and read on below to check out some of their best projects!
Geoparc de Percé – Canada
A three-dimensional indoor playground mimicking Canada’s natural landscapes recently opened its doors to adventurous kids everywhere. The Geoparc de Percé in Quebec, Canada incorporates coastal elements – like water, high cliffs and rock islets – in a blue-green atmosphere facing walls of windows. Kids can play in three levels, which are connected by conical net-funnels, exploring the ocean floor and its “underwater plants” (ropes), the middle level and the sky, where kids can “fly” on top of white hammocks. The climbing atmosphere was intended to challenge kids and to feel like they’re walking over water. The nets installed were screwed directly onto the steel beams of the playground’s building, ensuring safety.
Lüders Park’N’Play – Denmark
A bright red public space that sits atop a parking garage has become Copenhagen, Denmark’s newer playground. Setting new standards for how people should start thinking about designing spaces for the public, Park’N’Play uses the modern city district to its advantage. Located above sea level, the spacious area was inspired by the staircases on the exterior of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. With stairs from the ground floor of the north and south side of the garage to the rooftop play area, the red handrail bursts onto the play structures and leads visitors to the focal point of the park: a tall cone-shaped rope jungle gym with spiral nets for climbing. Don’t worry about getting scared at the top of the cone – since the bottom nets are larger than the top, a net will always be there to catch your child if they should fall!
Playground at Silver Lake State Park – Michigan
The newly-redeveloped Silver Lake State Park just added a playground to the eastern Lake Michigan coastline. Built to reflect the rugged, natural setting of the park, the playground offers a challenge, where kids can play on net-based structures, as well as a sliding pole, “Spaceball” and a Palmetto swing. The accessible and inclusive playground encourages kids to develop their psychomotor and socialization skills. Due to the transparency of the playground equipment, parents can take in the views of the beautiful dunes while keeping an eye on their little ones.
South Park – California
South Park is San Francisco’s oldest public park and a historical area that was modeled as a neighborhood centerpiece after an English strolling park. However, due to years of activity, the park fell into disrepair. The community wanted to restore the park back to how it used to be and, once an architectural firm was commissioned, the revitalization started. A play area was added to the original plans, and Berliner added a completely custom-designed structure to the park, that doubles as a sculptural art piece. The various nets contained between the curved posts offer different challenges for children to climb up and down on. This structure also makes use of Berliner’s proprietary, Charlotte Connectors, which makes the rope net ends disappear into the steel tubes, allowing for tension adjustments to be made. Additional elements on the playground include a banister, in place of a slide, and a saucer swing. South Park has been redesigned and is now the perfect setting for the whole family.
Thanks for sharing your special projects with us, Berliner Seilfabrik GmbH & Co.! And a special thank you to Fangzhour Miao and Chris Watkins for the photos!
Did you miss the deadline to submit your “Great Playground”? If you are a member of IPEMA and would like to have your playground featured, please contact Lesley.Sillaman@havas.com with your “Great Playground” submission (photos encouraged!) and you could be featured in an upcoming blog post.