YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
The Nature Park Nuthe-Nieplitz acquires another attraction. A"playground for ALL" at the game reserve Glauer Tal. The special feature of this playground: Even children and adults with physical disabilities can use the equipment. The total cost of 120,000 euros for the redesign of the playground was funded by the EU and the state.
This pilot initiative from the Landschafts-Förderverein Nuthe-Nieplitz e.V., sponsor of the project NaturParkZentrum, is a major contribution to the development of accessible tourism in the region. Embedded in the outdoor area of the NaturParkZentrum, the playground has a particularly interesting location.
The game reserve Glauer Tal was established on the former military terrain in 1998. NaturParkZentrum was founded in 2007. Since that time, it has expanded into a modern visitor information centre, attracting up to 29,000 guests to the region each year. The nature park Nuthe - Nieplitz has unique landscape structures, into which the game reserve Glauer Tal is integrated. The extensive nature park with 10 hectares surrounds the NaturParkZentrum and functions interactive exhibition of open space. The environmental education stations embedded in the landscape are all barrier-free. There are a total of three children's playgrounds. The barrier-free 'Playground for All', which visitors experience with all their senses, is an important element of the park.
Playground for everyone
The 'Playground for All' provides play and sensory stimulation for everyone, whether young, old, with or without disabilities. When searching for a suitable partner for the development of the games for all the playgrounds in Glaus, we came across the artist and wood designer Gisbert Baarmann. A skilled carpenter, graduated wood sculptor and qualified wood designer, Baarmann creates concepts that are popular with the public. His games, street furniture, play landscapes and building-related work have a unique quality.
The theme for the playground is a flowering meadow, a scenic area nestled in the grounds of the Glauer Tal nature park.
The play equipment
In the midst of the meadow, between wooden carved blades of grass, hangs an oversized spider web - the Shallow Swing. The toy consists of a frame made of larch wood with a diameter of about 5 meters and a net of sturdy rope. As more people climb onto the net and shift their weight, the structure begins to tilt gently. The suspension of the rocker works hydraulically, so that the movement is steady and slow. Physically limited individuals can also enjoy it without risk.
The creator of the spider web sits in the ground floor nest next to the net - a giant spider made of wood and metal with a 5m leg span. The body of the spider is wheelchair accessible. Inside are several kaleidoscopes, whose colourful play of colours allows a changing perspective of the surrounding landscape.
Other blades of grass made from wood have different play functions. The climbing pole is covered with another rope spider web and lets visitors test their climbing skills. The 3 meter high swing is spanned between two blades of grass and offers a magnificent view of the surrounding landscape in addition to the swinging experience.
Coloured accents on the playground equipment provide easier orientation for the visually impaired. The playground equipment is barrier-free, accessible via a mosaic of concrete slabs.
Since all play equipment was unique and designed specifically for the location, the close and continuous coordination with the TÜV auditor for playground safety was critical to the success of the project. Thanks in part to their creative proposals, the playground has become unique and at the same time safe venue and finally opened on the 30 March 2015.
The playground for all funded by the European Union and the State of Brandenburg (ILE and LEADER), as was all the required construction in the Glauer Felder Nature Park.
Key data
Barrier-free and inclusive children's playground
Surface about 750sqm
Financing: ILE and LEADER funding, State of Brandenburg and European Union
Planning: hochC Landschaftsarchitekten with Gisbert Baarmann
