YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
The public park of Großburgwedel consists of different sections with a large, and in some areas extremely old stock of trees. In 2007 a play area, which was based on the name of the town, was developed by landscape architect Jens Martins (atelier grün + raum, Hannover), as the corner-piece of the park. The main element is a “big castle”, and of course a dragon also belongs to the castle, a dragon which “waddles” out of the forest towards the castle to protect it, of course. It must therefore be a friendly dragon. The castle well, an existing water fountain system, forms the centrepoint between the dragon and the castle buildings.
Ulrich Probst, an employee of SIK-Holz, which in 2008 built the multifunctional dragon playground, contributed to the detailing of the dragon and castle. The dragon consists of 2 areas, since a path crosses it. The rear area is built into the forest. It is an open climbing structure which is compressed in the middle. The individual posts, designed partly as dragon scales, are connected by a large number of nets, ropes and bridges. Between the individual elements platforms provide the possibility of taking a rest. This area occupies a surface of approx. 23 x 21 m. The front area of the head extends over an area of approx. 20 x 13 m, and visually it makes the whole playground into an oversized sculpture which plunges into the ground in front of the path and emerges again behind the path. This is achieved by the uniform expression of form of both parts in terms of both material and design.
The castle to be protected by the dragon was converted in 2009. Since then the small city on the northern edge of Hannover has been enriched by a unique attraction. Suddenly something is really happening in the public park. Crowds of children rampage over the dragon and castle, some just normally, others with swords as noble knights. The animal has already become a space ship: “Come, we must go to deck 10 on our space station…” a cry is heard somewhere out of the confusion of beams and nets.
