12. December 2022

New Play Park in Bad Vilbel, Germany

For the residents of a new housing area in Bad Vilbel, Germany, the lack of play facilities for the many children was unacceptable. After a pair of parents had seen a play structure from Berliner during their holidays, they researched the company and contacted the sales partner responsible for the Rhine-Main region. They invited him to their home in Bad Vilbel and asked him to support the construction of a playground with equipment from Berliner. A concept for the playground could be developed, which was officially approved by the city in September 2020.

The landscape architects Steffen Henrich and Simone Michel were hired to plan the entire playground. Anne Eckert, landscape architect from the Berliner Creative Center, and Simone Michel began planning the playground in summer 2020. “The arrangement and selection of the playground equipment was done in close consultation with Ms Michel. Since the playground was built on a slope, we determined the areas beforehand that had to be levelled for the playground equipment,” explains Anne Eckert and adds: “So in the process, the planning was adjusted a few times, for example to add more play features, to optimise the terrain or to make the playground even more inclusive.”

The construction work started in December 2021 and lasted two months. “It was important to us that the playground convinces with a variety of play equipment for young and old and that the majority of the area is accessible without barriers,” says Simone Michel. “In addition, it should remain visible from the outside through loose planting and invite people to linger with plenty of seating.”

One thing that should not be missing on the playground was large spatial nets on which the children can let off steam and climb up to the top. That's why there are two three-dimensional net structures at the new playground in Bad Vilbel. Once you have reached the top of the middle mast structure, the Tetragode, a basket awaits the children on which they can enjoy the wide view of the meadows around it. The attached low rope course from the Terranos product group leads onto a section of grass connected to the path. This is also easily accessible by wheelchair, making the low rope course available to children and parents in wheelchairs. The PentaBoo on the other side of the path can provide a retreat for children in the playhouse at the top. Those who don't want to end their journey there can continue climbing down the net tunnel to the slide and quickly get back down again. On the other side of the PentaBoo, another Terranos structure is connected, which makes it possible to climb in circles thanks to its U-shape. From the slide, you can swing over the small rotating element Eddie onto the low rope course and back into the spatial net.

For those who can't climb that high yet, there is a small Spoo house in a large sandbox in the toddler area with a ramp and an access net – depending on how much climbing experience the little ones have already gained. The Sand Workshop also encourages role play and promotes social interaction. The Bowl Swing has a low entry and makes the net swing easily accessible even for toddlers. One path further on you will find the area that is also attractive for teenagers and adults. A calisthenics facility encourages movement as well, and the balancing track trains balance. Trampolines and large rotating play points, the so-called Eddies, round off this area.

During the excavation work for the foundation, a curiosity was waiting for those involved: beneath the surface were thousand-year-old slabs of hardened lava flows. To remove these, larger equipment had to be brought in. However, this excavation made the holes for the foundations larger and deeper, which required more cement.
 
Verena Goßmann, project manager in the sales department of Berliner, says: “None of us could have imagined that the construction of this playground would pose such a hurdle for us. However, the extra effort has more than paid off. We think the playground turned out great and the children and parents seem to think so too.”