As young people spend their leisure time on skateboards, bikes and skates, it regularly leads to conflicts with the local residents. By a building, that disappears under a green, terraced hill, it is possible to create a separate place for the young people, which does not exclude them as roughnecks or expect a suitable behaviour.
The “open” side of the building is determined by simple concrete walls and glass façades protected by vandalism-proof wood cladding. The outdoor facilities playfully continue the theme of the concrete walls and offer own playing areas to small and larger children. Play_Land also works without a user as a country-style, which determines the open space sculptural.
Within the “Emscherumbaus”, were the open sewer is tubed, the building of the former youth centre Oberhausen-Holten was located in the route of the planned canal construction project. The project was suggested as an object for the “Emscherkunst 2013”. In the sense of a “restoration of the landscape” along the Emscher and the use of the excavation of the new canal for the building project, a diverse and usable landscape sculpture was developed together with the artist Apolonija Šušteršič.
The important design components are security, accessibility, usability, the promotion of senses. As the youth center with its landscape playgrounds is located on the edge of the district and bordering on one side to water, the robustness of the facility and the safety play an important role. The landscape sculpture wants to be experienced and used, the extensive, mostly fortified road network allows accessability in many areas and offers in many places not “prefabricated” movement and play incentives with degrees of difficulty determined by user.
The assortment of games are designed according to the user groups, integrated into an overall spatial and design concept; nevertheless, the rooms are not separated, the entire building is open for use and a meeting point for children, young people and families. Particularly is the fact that the spaces and roadways are accessible and comfortably designed (site concrete paths) and all the play elements are to access.
PLAY_LAND – youth centre with skate park and playground in Oberhausen, Germany
Entrant office name: wbp Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH
Role of the entrant in the project: conceptual design together with the artist and architect Apolonija Šušteršič and Banz+Riecks architects, design and detail planning
Website: www.wbp-landschaftsarchitekten.de
Other design firms involved:
construction site management: wbp landscape architects with Guido Bauer
design scaterpool: Carve, Elger Blitz together with the kids
detail planning and construction site managemant of scaterpool: Maier landscape architects
Project location: 46147 Oberhausen – Holten, Germany
Design year: 2012
Year Built: 2013
