Markus Schmidt (landscape architect registered with AKNDS, partner of chora blau Landschaftsarchitektur)
The regeneration of the central playground on Schollweg in Hanover-Mühlenberg is a pilot project of the “Socially Integrative City” urban development funding programme and will give impetus to further measures planned. Thanks to its redesign, the old playground can once again fulfil its important function as a local play and sports area and as a neighbourhood meeting place. During implementation, particular focus was laid on a barrier-free and inclusive design in order to enable joint play – regardless of physical or cognitive disabilities.
Play helps to foster a sense of community and neighbourly interaction
With a variety of different cultures and histories, the Hanover district of Mühlenberg is a diverse and international neighbourhood. The playground’s design language and the participation project were to translate this idea of combining different, distinctive individual elements into a multifaceted entity. This is the approach behind designing the “Polygonia” playland.
Active participation and involvement
Similar to the Chinese tangram puzzle (seven boards of skill), which uses archetypal basic shapes to create complex shapes and pictures, the playground and its equipment are composed of a mosaic of distinct individual pieces. Combined, they produce a multifaceted and intriguing overall picture, which helps to form neighbourhood identity. As part of a participation project, children could create colourful mosaics from pieces of tile, telling tales and stories from their homelands. Like the playground itself, these mosaics consist of simple polygons. They were installed on the concrete seats and benches on the central neighbourhood square, where they tell the stories of Mühlenberg for all to see.
Sustainable structures
The dense vegetation bordering the old playground has been retained and perpetuated. The sheer size of the playground of 4,300 square metres and the green setting make the area look like a small park amidst the surrounding residential buildings. The vegetation shields the inner play areas from the footpaths and cycle paths and acts as a buffer zone to residents. Inside, visual barriers were removed to create a continuous play area and to provide accompanying persons with an unobstructed view. The spacious open area also provides sufficient working space for maintenance and utility vehicles. The large-size edging slabs point in all directions and lend the playground a distinct character and design characterized by clear lines and large axes. They form the basis for a variety of barrier-free running, catching and jumping games. These polygons combine to form net-like play spheres and recreational areas. They divide the area into three zones of different “action regions”, according to the different age groups.
The “play regions” of the playland
“Polygonia” can be accessed via two entrances located along Schollweg. The colourful play equipment and the large, colourful fall protection areas harmonize perfectly in terms of colour and shape. In the adjoining “Region of Young Play” there is a jumping landscape with three square trampolines next to a spacious, pentagonal sand play area, whose seating areas border the central triangular square. In addition to a baking counter and a sand bar, the sand play area also includes a playhouse in crystal form. At the edges there are the swing areas with a nest swing, a double swing and various small play equipment such as a spring rocker, a beam seesaw and a carousel.
Via the triangular square – designed as an open meeting place – you get to the “Region of Active Play”. A part of the existing hill was converted into a staggered climbing landscape. As a counterpart to the natural-looking play hill, which is lined by balancing and seating blocks, a climbing sculpture is created from polygonal surfaces and frames of different heights. The highest platform of the elevated slide tower can be reached via monkey bars, climbing nets and wobbly bridges on four linked levels. From here, a tunnel slide or a fireman’s pole whizzes you back down to ground level. In addition to demanding climbing passages that challenge motor skills and coordination, the easily accessible elements such as the monkey bar tunnel, the lounging net and the area below the slide tower provide sensory games using tactile and auditory elements also for physically disabled children. The seamless safety surfacing ensures that wheelchair users also have access to this area. The play equipment promotes interaction and joint play.
Further east there is the “Region of Sports”, providing numerous opportunities for children and young people to romp around and work out. Here you will find a triple horizontal bar with varying heights, a table tennis table and the popular kickabout area.
Elements of socio-spatial urban neighbourhood development
Situated in the middle between the play areas, there is the central triangular square as a common area. In its function as a neighbourhood meeting place, it plays a special role that is often neglected in playgrounds. Play areas are not just areas that allow children to quench their thirst for physical activity and test their skills and abilities in a playful manner. They are also places of encounter and social interaction for the accompanying adults. They offer opportunities to linger in a relaxed atmosphere and to talk and exchange ideas while looking after the children. A network of paths bordering the play areas in an unobtrusive manner reinforces this function just as much as the seating areas facing each other at the edges of the different play zones. In this way, neighbourhood playgrounds - in addition to their core function as play areas for children - make a valuable contribution to the formation of neighbourhood networks and to neighbourhood identification. The redesigned playground thus marks a promising prelude to the urban renewal process in Mühlenberg.
Client: City of Hanover, Department of the Environment and Urban Greenery, Department of Planning and Urban Development
Planning: chora blau Landschaftsarchitektur
Services: LP1-3,5,6, child participation
Construction costs: 500,000 €
Area: 4,300 m²
Period: 2015 - 2017
Companies involved: Construction: Kretschmer GmbH; Construction of play tower: Klettermax GmbH
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