#1913
JUBILEUMSPARKEN
Location:
GOTHENBURG
Size:
2 300 M2
Type:
PARK, PLAYGROUND
Status:
COMPETITION (2ND PRIZE)
Collaboration:
EMMA ADBÅGE
Client:
CITY OF GOTHENBURG
“At recess, everybody rushes to the Pit. You don’t have to play the same, because everybody fits. Some do a jump race, others roll, we’re playing deer family. The grown-ups mope around the edge of the Pit.
— Why won’t you swing, or play football? they shout.
— Because we don’t want to! we shout.
It’s as simple as that. You only need the Pit.”
The award-winning children’s book “Gropen” (“The Pit”, 2018), written and illustrated by Emma Adbåge, tells the story of an unusual playground which, to the bewilderment of the grown-ups, seems to spark the imagination of every kid. It embodies the notion of “risky play”, which points to a seemingly universal desire among children to play at great height and speed, to chase and wrestle, to get lost, or to handle dangerous tools. Research indicates that children rarely need to be told what or how to play, and that play deemed unsafe can be what actually develops “physical literacy”, understanding of risk and consequence, and sense of self and others.
This proposal for a public park in Gothenburg interprets the notion of “risky play” and the story about Gropen through two different, but very much related, playgrounds. The one is a rugged landscape with carved-out pits and tunnels of every shape and size, the other a field with bumps and humps, hills and ridges. Both playgrounds are scattered with natural ‘props’ such as trees, shrubs, logs and stones, but also colourful, interactive sculptures designed by Emma Adbåge in the style of her illustrations. These whimsical, artificial objects trigger the imagination and evoke a slightly surreal, fantastic mood, while the natural elements provide a pedagogical tactility that changes with the seasons. Hopefully this environment, like Gropen, will encourage brave, independent children to write their own stories – in both words and actions.
— Why won’t you swing, or play football? they shout.
— Because we don’t want to! we shout.
It’s as simple as that. You only need the Pit.”
The award-winning children’s book “Gropen” (“The Pit”, 2018), written and illustrated by Emma Adbåge, tells the story of an unusual playground which, to the bewilderment of the grown-ups, seems to spark the imagination of every kid. It embodies the notion of “risky play”, which points to a seemingly universal desire among children to play at great height and speed, to chase and wrestle, to get lost, or to handle dangerous tools. Research indicates that children rarely need to be told what or how to play, and that play deemed unsafe can be what actually develops “physical literacy”, understanding of risk and consequence, and sense of self and others.
This proposal for a public park in Gothenburg interprets the notion of “risky play” and the story about Gropen through two different, but very much related, playgrounds. The one is a rugged landscape with carved-out pits and tunnels of every shape and size, the other a field with bumps and humps, hills and ridges. Both playgrounds are scattered with natural ‘props’ such as trees, shrubs, logs and stones, but also colourful, interactive sculptures designed by Emma Adbåge in the style of her illustrations. These whimsical, artificial objects trigger the imagination and evoke a slightly surreal, fantastic mood, while the natural elements provide a pedagogical tactility that changes with the seasons. Hopefully this environment, like Gropen, will encourage brave, independent children to write their own stories – in both words and actions.