YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
The whole of Wittstock/Dosse in Brandenburg is surrounded and permeated by the State Horticultural Show. From the show site, it is possible to explore the attractive core of Wittstock on foot and stroll through its historic lanes, over the marketplace with its splendid town hall to St. Mary's Church. From the 70-metre tower there are magnificent views of the Pregnitz countryside - and of all the play landscapes.
The circular town walls of Wittstock provide a quite unique background for the horticultural show. The 32-acre site is located to the south of the historic town centre. There are two entrances to the site - at the station and the Bleichwall park. A former goods shed is being used as a floral hall while the Amtshof plaza serves as the central event venue.
Bleichwall playground
The Bleichwall park that is being employed as the largest site for the horticultural show is located at the foot of the former palace that was once the official residence of the Bishops of Havelberg. The opening up of a old silted meander of the River Dosse here has provided for a diverse and memorable green space.
An adventure playground that can be used by young and old is to be installed on the southern section of the Bleichwall embankment. The area is divided into two sections by a path. The smaller northern section will have play options for the younger visitors to the horticultural show. The opposite section, including the former railway embankment,
has been provided with challenging and stimulating equipment appropriate for users aged 3 years and older. But even for the older, but still young in heart person, this can be a demanding exercise space. The objective is to supply differing and diverse play and exercise options that represent an inexhaustible source of challenge to the courage of children and young people, that provide opportunities for discovering unexpected new routes through the site and continue to stimulate role play, discovery and imagination. The site is intended to help children develop their expertise and improve their motor skills. There are various areas within the playground: there are places for relaxation and withdrawal, for climbing, swinging and sliding. The play equipment has been devised in such a way that its appearance blends in with the natural surroundings of the Bleichwall, creating a link between the play and social aspects.
Equipment: 'Nest box' and 'Eagle's nest' slide tower, 'Bird's nest' play platform, 'Hoppel' balancing trail, swings and a climbing section. Materials: Robinia wood, steel. Size: 470m²
Glinze playground
The listed Friedrich-Ebert park on the banks of the River Glinze with its impressive population of trees is among the themed floral highlights of the State Horticultural Show. The playground in the park, a large sandy area located between the Kyritzer Straße and the Glinze, is directly next to a water playground. For this reason, the theme selected for the playground was 'play among the reeds'. Long grasses and reeds - in some cases with attached leaves, provide the leitmotif for the design and give the site its special feel. Users can discover various routes, move on different materials, swing, climb nets or a boulder wall, dangle from bars or simply cool off in the shade of the birch trees - this landscape has something to offer for all age groups.
Equipment: Swings, monkey bars, wobbly raft, reed forest, pointed roof play tower, various balancing ropes and bars, climbing options. Materials: Coloured robinia wood. Size: 400m²
Water playground
This is a redesign of the existing facility as a new add-on to the Glinze playground. The paved terrain has been modelled to provide hills and troughs and there is a large sandpit.
The stone fountains with various water jets encourage children to play with the water. There are channels and sprays that direct the water into a stone-flagged conduit. There are also sluice gates that can be used to dam the water flow and a mud table with water pump.
Materials: Natural stone (granite), wood and steel. Size: 250m²
Amtshof playground
This is in the centre of the plaza, between the catering outlets and the open-air stage. The historic background in the form of the former bishops' palace, now home to the Museum of the Thirty Years' War, not only inspired the shape of the enclosed sandpits but also the form of the large play sculpture.
This self-contained, compact piece of play equipment is a challenge for large and small visitors and provides a contrast with the Bleichwall and Glinze playgrounds. Not only the construction materials are different; the site itself encourages other forms of exercise.
Climbing here does not involve progress via various routes within a larger space but is contained with the feature.
There is a horizontal net structure at a height of some 1.7 metres with a diameter of roughly 3.5 metres with surrounding retaining cable to prevent falls. Access to this net surface is provided by a rope ladder with plastic rungs or, alternatively a climbing rope with plastic climbing aids. The first rung and aid are sited at approximate heights of 0.5 to 0.6 metres. By making access difficult in this way, children that are too young are prevented from entering the play sculpture.
There is another horizontal net surface at a height of 2.9 metres.
Below this surface, there are two openings in the net to ensure that is no bottleneck can develop and there is always an alternative escape route. This is connected to the lower net surface by vertical cables and an intermediate level. The sculpture is closed on all sides above this net level. The structure with its vertical tube-like forms is transparent. Those who manage to get as high as the enclosed space are rewarded by fantastic views of the activities and events around them. This is place to retreat to, to relax in, to keep a look-out and meet friends.
Materials: Steel. Size: 430m²
Image: M. Bruck
