Giant Spider Forest Play
Concept: A humongous spider hiding under a leaf and peering out from the trees.
Proposal: An octagonal roundwood tower supporting the head and body of a spider (Refer to on next page spiral staircase). The head and Body are proposed to be clad in blackened timber (burnt and brushed). The legs, constructed from Robinia will also be blackened to bring the spider form to life and make it stand out from the surrounding lighter structure and the forest backdrop. A ‘thread like’ rope swing will drop down from the spiders abdomen for added immersive play value. The joy of this design is that the precise shape and position of the legs is carefully mapped onto the ground form, to give the impression of a spider crawling over the land scape.
Large triangular steps mean that all ages can make their way up into the body and head of the spider and pear out through the eyes at the adults below.
Concept: An giant insect hotel forms the entrance to an imaginative and immersive “insect world”
Proposal: Multiple roundwood towers are proposed to form this insect themed play area, with a ‘human-sized’ insect hotel entrance consisting of a long timber tunnel amidst the tubes of the insect hotel. Each tower is linked with multiple play routes of varying difficulty levels making it accessible to different ages and abilities.
We propose to place fun informational elements about different insects on the Insect Hotel entrance/around the area. Once in the ‘hotel’ there is a challenging course to be negotiated with a secret den to be discovered. The high point gives a view over the area as if from the view point of a bird perched above and looking for a meal (in our experience with ‘play’ design, ‘finding things’ is a most effective way to entice children to go a bit further).
This proposal aims to combine imagination and active play with educational elements. The insect theme is also an ideal platform for wood carvers with , for example, insects hidden around the hotel for children to find.
