19.06.2017 - Ausgabe: 3/2017

Playground devices as a tourist attraction

The times are obviously long past when playground devices could only be found in municipal contexts. In the meantime many other operators outside the public sector discovered for themselves considerable potential in the market of playground devices and in giving their users an unforgettable experience. Top of the list is the tourist industry. Besides gastronomy, the hotel industry and companies of the leisure industry for whom playground devices are part of their overall spectrum of products and services, also many other businesses have in recent years increasingly focused on playground facilities as a key attraction.

A good example is the leisure park IKUNA Nature Resort in the municipality of Natternbach in Austria. In 2005 a big Wild West playground was built on an area owned by the local municipality, thus laying the foundation for today's leisure park.

The local government, the tourism office and private investors came together to transform the existing area into a leisure park. The plan included taking up the thematic focus on the "Wild West", setting up an appropriate infrastructure and offering further attractions to establish an efficient and cost-effective business.

The heart of the park is a water meadow with a streamlet and beautiful forest land. Towards the east, the terrain ascends steeply, towards the north only moderately. On different levels there are large flat areas. The largest terrace is the site on which the main attraction is located, the playable western city, which was built in 2005. This thematic playground marks on three sides the limits of the square through seating areas, a fireplace and a kiosk. The lower lying water meadow boasts an adventure trail. There the kids can delve into the details of the Wild West theme world. The existing area and the streamlet were skilfully involved and equipped with bridges and balancing elements leading across the waters. Another highlight is the fun pond. The small and big adventurers can cross it by using one of the rafts. The tingly feeling in the tummy is caused by two large slides of stainless steel of 12 and 5 metres length. The ride from the 12-metre long slide starts from a 4-metre high tower. The upper part has been designed as a tube. Other playground devices such as swings, a cable railway, a rope net pyramid, seesaws, small tents and a small water play area complete the historic Wild West playground offer.

As long as access to this attraction was free of charge, the current equipment would do. However, transforming it into a leisure park that charges admission fee required a significant expansion of the existing playground area. But that was anyway clear to the initiators of the leisure park project. Thus a concept was designed which includes overnight accommodation in line with the thematic focus, an adequate gastronomy and other playground attractions. Through the financial grant under the LEADER programme of the European Union it was possible to implement the project during 2014 and 2015. The hotel design is very unique. It consists of 12 comfortable solid timber tepees which are already visible from far away already on arrival. The main building, where the restaurant is located, is limited by two tepee towers. Next to the main entrance there is a four- metre high carved stake.  Hence, the visitors immediately delve into the Wild West theme world right from the start.

During the reconstruction period of the park numerous new attractions have been built and installed.  To be kept in positive memory by the visitors, the main concern of the operators was to create special play and leisure opportunities, which at the same time reflect the Wild West theme of the park.

So for example, a spaciously laid out water play area was built consisting mainly of artificially designed creeks made from paving stones and small boulders. These are equipped with several water retaining elements, water diverters and water wheels. Thus, the cool water can be both directed and redirected into the creek. Of special interest are the floor drains which can be found in some water basins near the retaining elements. It is there where the water disappears and comes out elsewhere in the piping system to feed the fountains or water wheels. That is how aha-effects are generated and the spatial sense is trained.

Through an Archimedean spiral the water is transferred from the water basin into a channel system, where it branches off in the same way as the artificial creeks and can then be redirected or retained.

Apart from the permanent water inlet, which is fed by water from the water meadow streamlet, additional water can be pumped into the system by help of a handle pump or a pump-up sprayer. However, as far as the latter is concerned, splashing each other is certainly paramount.

The eight-metre high giant swing is another new attraction. After having pulled one of the swing pendulums up the hill one must swing onto the seat to get that wonderful tingling sensation started. Not surprisingly, because it takes only a very short time to reach a high swinging velocity up to 20 km/h. This is certainly not an everyday attraction and very exciting for both children and adults.

The highlight of the new leisure facilities are without doubt the new playable Indian tepees. Two differently large pyramid towers have been provided with applications which make them look like two giant tepees. The tents have many different entrances. Inside the tepees there are several platforms which can be accessed through a vertical ladder located in the centre. It is an exciting thrill to cross the ten-metre long bridge which connects the top of both tents. A 6-metre spiral tube slide completes this special offer.

When the expansion phase started, the existing equipment of the leisure park was already almost ten years old. Hence, the operators found it necessary to carry out a thorough technical review and to perform all necessary restructuring work. The manufacturing company which supplied the new playground facilities was at the same time entrusted with this task.

“We were very happy when we were awarded the contract to produce the new leisure facilities for the IKUNA Nature Resort because we had also provided the basic equipment in 2005, says Graduate Engineer Florian Philipp, Managing Director of the company OBRA Design. Based on our long-standing experience we have the perfect knowledge about the long durability of our products. After 10 years, only very few elements had to be replaced!"

In the context of the park expansion in 2006, an archery stand was added to the leisure park area. The sun protection system, the entrance bridge and the park furniture was supplied by OBRA. Another attraction is the new pets corner with mini goats, alpacas, pot-bellied pigs and ponies. The fencing material as well as the entrance gate of the fenced area was also supplied by OBRA. In addition, some further playing facilities have been added such as a double high-rise seesaw, a roller track and a jumping cushion.

The IKUNA Nature Resort is a reference project which shows that a leisure park does not necessarily consist of roller coasters, 4D cinemas, stunt shows and the latest trend of virtual reality. Due to their commitment to the job, parents often do not have enough time to be with their children. So this is precisely where the concept of the leisure park comes in which mainly focuses on joint outdoor activities in plain nature. Here, the central aspect is not the adrenaline rush but the social experience of community.

 

Further information

The company OBRA-Design also operates its own leisure park called OBRA Kinderland in Neunkirchen on the Vöckla (Austria). In the meantime the company has become a specialist in leisure parks.  Apart from Kinderland and the IKUNA Nature Resort, the Tarzan Park in Budapest in the district of Uipest was also supplied by OBRA with all necessary equipment.  What is special about this park is that about 90 per cent of the devices installed are catalogue products.  Individual equipment is the exception. “The “Tarzan Park Project” has been implemented by our Hungarian partners.  It was the explicit wish of the operator to work with our standard products. The main reason for this was that our catalogue products are all approved by the Austrian Technical Inspection Agency according to the European Standard EN: 1176. But even if this case shows that a whole leisure park could be equipped with our standard products, we consider ourselves as experts for customised individual solutions”, explains Mr Philipp.

An 11.5-metre long and three- metre wide facility in the shape of a wild boar has already been built to be installed at the Landesgartenschau (national horticultural show) 2017 of the Austrian federal state Upper Austria which will take place in Kremsmünster.  In addition to that OBRA is currently building a playable 7.5-metre high sculpture in the shape of a big teddy bear which has been ordered by a Tyrolean cable way company.

 

 

Picture: IKUNA / OBRA Design / Ing. Philipp GmbH & Co. KG