Lõunakeskus Children´s Playground by Lõunakeskus OÜ

Shopping malls often promote themselves as family-friendly destinations yet rarely invest in developing the surrounding outdoor space. Lõunakeskus made a bold and thoughtful decision: to reduce parking space and replace it with an extraordinary playground that welcomes everyone – toddlers, children, and their parents alike.

Located right in front of the main entrance and adjacent to seasonal market stalls, the playground becomes a seamless extension of the building and a spatial expression of the Lõunakeskus brand. In close collaboration with the client, we integrated brand elements into the playground’s design. The most prominent feature is the large, round, yellow mascot “Leo,” proudly perched atop the central play tower. More subtle brand motifs reveal themselves from above – such as the rubber safety surface, which features patterns inspired by the centre’s gift cards.

The surface itself is colourful and dynamic, with intuitive flow lines and cleverly integrated games like hopscotch and Twister, encouraging play and movement. Recognizing Estonia’s long, dark seasons, we also embedded LED lighting throughout the area, ensuring that the playground remains a safe and welcoming environment even on dark autumn evenings.

Eye-catching and fun playground creates great atmosphere for the family friendly shopping mall. Creating extra opportunities to spend time outdoors with kids + gives more time for parents to enjoy shopping while old enough kids get to have fun on a playground. Seasonal market stalls next to the play area offer fresh and sweet fruits that can be enjoyed on recreational area´s benches.

Spanning 670 m², this playground has quickly become one of the most attractive play areas in Southern Estonia. It is designed for children aged 1 to 14, with the central play structure custom-built to match the client’s vision and to appeal to a broad range of age groups.

• All landscape architecture offices involved in the design of landscape:
AB Artes Terrae OÜ
Fixman Eesti OÜ

• All architecture offices involved in the design:
Fixman Eesti OÜ
Fixman SIA
Playground company´s inhouse landscape architect and design team.

• Other credits:
Lead Landscape Architect from Fixman: Ilze Janpavle
Lead Landscape Architect from AB Artes Terrae: Sulev Nurme
Construction Company: Fixman Eesti OÜ
Leading Builder: Toivo Roose
Construction Project Manager: Kristen Roose
CEO of Lõunakeskus (client): Marju Jeedas
Marketing manager of Lõunakeskus: Piret Vapajeva
Administrative manager of Lõunakeskus: Richard Pajussaar