YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
In the past: a private garden area of a mill owner. Now: a wild savage property. In future: a unique children's play forest.
At the end of 2016, the LAGO landscape architect's office Goronzi was entrusted with the design implementation of a playground project for a district in the south of Leipzig called Großzschocher. The contracting authority was the Urban Greenspace Department of Leipzig. The objective was to create both a place which guarantees the currently missing play value and additional play opportunities for the children of the adjacent residential environment.
Before the redesign was started, the selected area proved to be in an unused and savage condition. The investigation revealed that the property which should be redesigned was the so-called "Red Villa", the former private residence of the family Anton Zickmantel. Until his death, Zickmantel was also the owner of the adjacent mill site which apart from the residential property also included a couple of real estates as well as a garden area designed in the classical English style of 1870 which was called the Mühlpark (mill park). After the expropriation the garden was made accessible to the public in 1945. In 1944, large parts of the mill had been destroyed in an air raid. Both residencies, that is to say the Red and the White Villas were also entirely destroyed.
Since then, the former residence had over the years been overgrown with trees and shrubs. However, through the extensive growth of the maple trees over the past decades a forest-like landscape emerged. Some single parts, such as the old brick pillar of the former access road or the cobblestone wall which was the boundary between the property and the adjacent road, still bear witness of the former stylish property which once was surrounded by the private garden area.
Hence, the planning task was to preserve its actual forest-like landscape character by just integrating the required play offerings. It was, however, clearly decided that in no case there should be built a conventional playground at this place.
The existing area should rather be developed cautiously and in a playful way. The target group is children aged between 6 and 12. Thus, design and difficulty of the equipment should be based on the target group's age.
On the basis of this planning task, the landscape architect's office Goronzi developed the respective concept in close cooperation with the company Klettermax GmbH Domsühl. The resulting proposal included a ropes course as well as a climbing area in specific parts which should offer a wide range of play experience. The reduced material combination of coloured steel posts and Hercules ropes in different versions should take up the natural shapes and colours of the surrounding area and adapt themselves discreetly in the existing tree population. Due to the continuous shading, the use of wood was entirely avoided.
The installation of the individual climbing and balancing elements should mainly be realised without fall protection. Only in the northern part of the area it was intended to build a high climbing tower where the necessary fall protection could be easily installed.
The entire site was overgrown by ivy vines in the inventory situation. This overall vegetation should in any case be maintained. According to the local conditions it would be too difficult to establish a new vegetation layer.
Furthermore, the already existing footpaths should be maintained in their original shape and thus continue to connect also in future the different paths and play areas.
The intended playground design required special considerations regarding security and fencing around the area which should not be implemented in the conventional manner by using double stick mats or similar material. However, it was important to make the fencing visible and safe for the children playing there in particular because the soil survey showed that some individual areas of the site could not be used as a play area for children.
Hence, a safety expert had been consulted already during the planning phase. On the basis of the existing inspection regulations, possible solutions were developed and discussed together on site. Finally, it was decided to install Benjes hedges with a thickness of more than one metre around the overall area. The historical roadside stone wall should also be maintained in its original shape. The shrubs on top should be cut back and thus become visibly rejuvenated and be supplemented by additional replanting. At a distance of approximately four to five metres to the existing wall an additional, simple and visible fencing which consisted of coloured steel posts and tense Hercules ropes in between, should be installed according to the concept plans.
According to the decision of the Greenspace Department in cooperation with the Children's Office of Leipzig, in spring 2017 children and youngsters of a neighbouring school could be involved in the planning process. To do so, the planning concept was first presented to the children of the sixths grade. After that the questions and opinions of the children were answered and discussed on site.
Joint decisions regarding the selection of the various play devices were taken into account when the additional design plan was developed.
According to the municipal statutes for tree preservation all necessary measures in the population of trees had been implemented already in February 2017. Only a few clearing works (trees and bushes) were necessary to allow the required installation of fall protection materials in some areas of the site. In addition, the central area of the future playground had to be cleared (by removing the poor-quality greenery) and the shrubs had to be cut back drastically along the historical stone wall. According to the technical standards of traffic safety, all deadwood was removed from the big distinctive trees.
When doing so, the Benjes hedge could already be built in the way planned.
All cuttings incurred within the entire area could thus be used as fencing material.
Due to the historically verifiable bombings of the former mill site parts of which should be redesigned, it was furthermore jointly decided by those involved in the planning process to implement an explosive ordnance exploration. The exploration showed an incalculable risk. After the potential risks had been considered and discussed, all parties involved decided to revise the present planning.
Thus, an extensive soil replacement of the entire future play area had become necessary. The exact area size was based on the surface of the already existing Benjes hedge. The overall follow-up work had been accompanied by experts in the removal of explosive ordnance. Prior to these measures unfortunately further clearings had become unavoidable. However, the green cuttings could be incorporated into the Benjes hedge.
In the course of the changed conditions, the well-planned arrangement of the play devices also had to be revised. As a result, a large rope landscape was implemented in close cooperation between the landscape architect's office Goronzi and the commissioned manufacturer Klettermax Spielgeräte GmbH. The inclined vertical supports adopt the shape of the surrounding tree trunks. The complex design of the play devices offers a wide-ranging programme of games as well as different movement and exercise sequences, such as climbing, hanging, sliding, swinging, balancing, etc. In the course of the soil replacement the necessary fall protection had been installed across an extensive area.
In order to obtain also in future the typical character of a play forest, the site had to be replanted. Between the play area and adjacent Benjes hedge, a large section was planted with regional shrubs which should also promote the tillering of the hedge. The bushes and shrubs were supplemented by several tall trees which due to their free position will have the opportunity to turn into healthy and tall canopy trees. Moreover, they will provide sufficient shade for a very long time.
The still existing historical building structure has been consciously integrated in the new design. The old brick pillars of the former gate system have been removed with the exception of the sandstone pedestal which is now bordering the newly installed steps. Thus, today’s playground entrance corresponds again with the historical entrance area. It was a conscious and joint decision of all parties involved to abandon the use of innovative materials. Thus, for instance, old granite boulders from the municipal inventory of Leipzig could be reused. Due to the fact that natural stone had been found in the course of the soil replacement, the historical wall could be reformed.
Several large decorative elements of red sand stone, which obviously once belonged to the Red Villa are now part of the play area as witnesses of former times.
Currently, old tree trunks, boulders, simple benches as well as an additionally installed bench system serve as seating areas for children and youngsters.
Conclusion
The overall project was completed and opened to the public in summer 2018. Retrospectively, this project included hard challenges for all parties involved in the planning and implementation processes. There was a lot of need for coordination and discussion on how to address the unfavourable conditions regarding the usage of the future play area. However, the difficulties and problems could be solved and finally a new, and fairly unusual playground for children and youngsters of the surrounding residential areas had been created, a playground which will – soon again – be situated in the midst of a little green forest.
Photo: Company LAGO Landschaftsarchitektur Goronzi
