19.10.2018 - Ausgabe: 5/2018

Water as the defining element

brugger landschaftsarchitekten

One of the most prominent features of the State Horticultural Show held in Bamberg in 2012 was the fish ladder constructed in an old arm of the River Regnitz. In order to bring visitors and more especially children closer to this newly created habitat, two of the five play areas constructed for the show were designated as 'water playgrounds' and located close to the fish ladder and old river arm. In these two adjacent sites, children have direct access to the water, and can experience the flowing water as an aspect of their play and thus come to better understand the way the fish ladder and river arm function. The playground next to the fish ladder was retained in full after closure of the show for permanent usage while some of the play elements along the old river arm were removed. But most of the playground has in fact been preserved and can thus still be enjoyed by those living in the nearer and further vicinity. In this article, we describe in more detail the playground that is still fully intact.

Construction of the playground commenced in February 2010 and it was completed by September 2010. The contractor was Josef Schmitt, a business based in Effeltrich.

 

Liaison with the involved authorities and inspection bodies

The two water playgrounds for the 2012 Bamberg State Horticultural Show were planned and designed in consultation with all parties involved.

Advice on safety-relevant concerns was obtained from TÜV-Süd in Munich although there were no safety concerns with regard to the plans that prevented the go-ahead being given.

There were similarly no concerns in terms of the water quality when it came to the two water playgrounds.

In September 2009, the plans of the show operator, Landesgartenschau Bamberg GmbH, and Brugger landscape architects were approved on site by the Kronach water authority, the Upper Franconia fishery authority, and the chair of the local Bamberg boatmen and angler association. It was recommended that the water-raising play equipment of the playgrounds within the fish ladder loop should be designed so that these did not directly intrude on and interfere with the main channel.

Those present were also included in the subsequent implementation process.

 

The fish ladder water playground

The fish ladder water playground contains the following main elements:

 

• A play water scoop (supplied by Richter) with a stone-lined channel and integrated play dams (also supplied by Richter)
   
• A play shaduf (supplied by Kinderland) with stone-lined channel and integrated play dam (Richter)
   
• A high-level balancing rope (Richter) that crosses the fish ladder channel
   
• Two special areas with blue wood chips and a crawl tunnel (Sik) and wooden seating elements (also Sik)
   
• Sandstone blocks as stepping stones, boulders and tree trunks
   
• Bank walling made of cut sandstone paving

 

Access to the water playground is provided by sandstone stepping stones that pass across the channel to the two peninsulas contained within the loop of the fish ladder. Children can raise water from the fish ladder using the play water scoop and play shaduf. This is then directed along stone-lined channels with integrated hand-operated dams to a small inlet with a gravel beach that is separated from the actual operational fish ladder by a barrier and stepping stones. It is possible to move from one peninsula to the other across the water with the help of the high-level balancing rope. The crawl tunnel and seating elements, both positioned within a circle of blue wood chips, complete the play options on offer.

The two water-raising elements (scoop and shaduf) are sited over small recesses integrated in the bank walling to ensure that they do not directly dip into the actual fish ladder channel, thus complying with the stipulations made by the local authorities and associations. There is thus no interference with any creatures using the fish ladder, particularly migrating fish. There were no other proposals to use the channel for play purposes so that there were no further environmental issues.

 

Safety aspects included the following:

• Free fall heights of the two water-raising elements
  The difference in height from the upper edge of the bank walling to the bed of the fish ladder channel at the water scoop (Richter) is 70 cm and at the shaduf (Kinderland) is 73 cm. The protective layer on the bed of the channel made of 10/25 mm coarse gravel to a depth of 20 cm provides sufficient fall impact protection.
   
• High-level balancing rope
  The maximum free fall height from the upper edge of the platforms of the high-level balancing rope (Richter) is 115 cm. The protective layer on the bed of the channel made of 10/25 mm coarse gravel to a depth of 20 cm provides sufficient fall impact protection here too. Because of the sag of the rope, the free fall height in the centre of the channel is just 20 - 30 cm.
  As there is no residential area in the immediate vicinity of the water playground, it was assumed that it would be largely used by older, school-age children and younger children accompanied by adults. The low access to the platforms of the balancing rope was thus considered suitable in view of the above.
   
• Design of the bank walling
  The bank walling with the integrated water play elements is made of cut sandstone blocks. There are no wedge-shaped abutments that could catch little feet or sharp protrusions on the surfaces of the blocks.
   
• Water depth
  In accordance with the stipulations of standard DIN 18034, the maximum depth of the fish ladder in the water playground area does not exceed 40 cm. The depth in the adjoining sections is 50 cm.

Because a considerable amount of sediment had found its way into the channel during the construction process, a dredger was used to deepen it again shortly before opening (see image dated 13 March 2012).

The fish ladder water playground was designed as a permanent feature and the intention was for it to continue to be maintained by Bamberg's garden and cemeteries department following closure of the 2012 State Horticultural Show.

Even years on, the water playground has still lost nothing of its attractiveness, coming into its own as it did during the hot summer of 2018.

 

Image: brugger landschaftsarchitekten_stadtplaner_ökologen

 

More information

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www.brugger-landschaftsarchitekten.de