Playground Project

This is a project for a great Playground done by designers Alain Gilles, C. Fidalgo and M. Leroy.

"Young children acquire most of their social behaviors through playing with others. So, what they play with greatly matters. In large urban cities, the playground is often one of the few outside place children have free access to. It is time to redefine the functions a playground should offer in ten years from now. Considering that most social needs of children age 3 to 8 will not have significantly changed, as tends to show different various scientific analysis of the evolution of society, cities and children in general. They obviously need to exercise outside, but they must also acquire self-confidence and social values.
Too often, playgrounds are seen as boring and are deserted after a while. Hence, the idea to have a solid structures allowing for different games to be rotated between playgrounds, or even within every playground itself. So the various elements are held to the ground by a series of studs evenly embedded within the foundation of the playground itself. It goes without saying that this grid is a constraint that has to be taken into account during the conception of each interchangeable element. It plays a role in the determination of the size and shape of each game, just as much as the ergonomics and general legislations.
In order to make sure that the elements of the playground could be financially accessible to a wide range of communities the pieces have been designed to be producible using generally accessible technology: metalwork, rotation molding, PUR foam, recycled rubber…
The various element of the playground are meant to foster the acquisition of some values needed to live in a community. So some games will in a way highlight some social behaviors and encourage communication, independence, self-esteem, respect for others and for what belongs to the community, but also encourage the need to behave as the majority, as well as encourage young children to find their own path and venture out."

Alain Gilles - info@alaingilles.com 

Urban Jungle:  Hanging or walking between rubber vines. Playing hide and seek with their peers. Young children need to learn to go beyond their fears, to step into unknown territories.

Antzzz or the little community:  Open, closed or linked structures replicate everyday social behaviors. Encouraging communication and/or confinement, especially when passing over a bridge. 

Antzzz or the little community:  The piece follows a modular logic. Parts are made to be easily disassembled, transported and allow multiple configurations. The bubbles are made of two identical double-skin rotomolded elements.

Cosmosphere:  Sunlight can shine through tiny holes made into the sphere and give an inner image of a sky full of stars. Children, while still being accessible, can hide away from their parents thus learn to become more independent.

Culbuto:  Let all that positive energy out, as children need to unleash once in a while. Up to four kids can shake that tree like structure and reap the benefits of their effort.

Boulo Modulo:  Big memory foam balls in which children can leave their imprints for a little while. By leaving their marks in, they will make the playground their, and be tempted to respect it a lot more.

Follow that Frog:  Society is a lot about behaving like other, and in a way following other people in their footsteps. Children can jump on one green lotus after the other as they light up the path taken by a virtual frog. Computer controlled LEDs are lit via bluetooth sensors thus defining a random path.