33 years! A long period of life. And if you look at SIK-Holzgestaltungs GmbH with its round about 230 employees today, it was a worthwhile piece of life that will leave its marks. The path was never easy, often challenging, but every minute they put their hearts into this project.

In 1988, Klaus-Peter and Claudia Gust were the first on the market who had the idea of ​​building play equipment made of robinia wood. First viewed with skepticism, this idea has achieved worldwide fame with many followers. Today, playgrounds made out of robinia wood are among the most popular on the market.

For the two of them, their playgrounds were much more than just products that are built and be sold. They wanted to bring nature back to urban spaces. With robinia wood as a building material, they were able to combine the idea of ​​sustainable design with the opportunity to give children space to develop. These ideas have succeeded in ensuring that children not only in Germany but all over the world can have fun on wonderful play equipment “Made in Langenlipsdorf”.

These ideas will also continue to lead the company into the future. With the new (old) managing director Marc Oelker, the responsibility could be handed over to a man who has been connected to SIK-Holz® for 20 years professionally and in friendly relation. The daughters Antje Gust and Kathleen Gust will also be involved in leading positions for SIK-Holz®. They will continue what their parents started to build up 33 years ago with only an idea and a Trabbi.

It is therefore certain that the company will continue to hold its course and sail towards a bright future. We are looking forward full of expectation to new adventures.

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Our career and study orientation starts early with two sponsorships at regional primary schools. For the secondary schools we offer excursions, internships and vacation work in various formats. Here, the pupils can get to know our apprenticeships as wood sculptors, carpenters, office clerks for office management and product designers up close and also try them out in practice. With a lot of passion, our employees are also involved in training fairs, career orientation tours and assessment centers. They try to talk to pupils, parents and teachers whenever possible. This way they know what moves students and what support schools need to prepare them for the world of work. These are all important impulses for the future of the pupils and also for securing our specialists of tomorrow.

SIK-Holz® was nominated by the Otto Unverdorben Oberschule in Dahme/Mark, with whom we would like to thank you for this honor.

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True, the idea to build a pirate playground is neither fanciful nor innovative. Take a sailing ship, a palm tree, a steering wheel, a crocodile, a nautical chart and arrange the whole of it in an appropriate landscape space. Children will know immediately what to do. Pirates are the most popular and absolute heroes for children. Even if the playing children don’t have a ship, they will as well board a harvester or a simple climbing scaffold.

The history of the Hanseatic League, the adventures of Francis Drake, Klaus Störtebecker or the discovery of the New World are terrific adventures and always exciting for kids.So what could make more sense than setting up an adventure area with a sailing ship and pirates in the midst of a theme park? However, a leisure park needs much more than this. Its attractions must be sensational and should vary significantly from all other similar offerings.

To design a boat of approximately 15 metres height a lot of phantasy and creativity was required from those who had to design and build this area. And it is exactly at this point where the adventurous journey started.

The company Adler & Olesch GmbH, a landscape architect’s office from Nuremberg, was responsible for the project planning of the new play area. So, the landscape architects designed a concept which focused on themes such as a pirate sea, a pirate lagoon, a pirate island. In addition they were responsible for the landscaping as such and the water management. Regarding the concrete design a two-step tendering procedure was implemented. Finally, it was the company SIK Holz® which was awarded the contract.

Already well visible from a distance, the 15-metre-high full rigged yard masts invite to visiting this exciting destination. When approaching the pirate bay from a more elevated location, one will find surprise after surprise. On an area of approximately 5,300 sqm one is faced with a dramatic sea battle. The scenery has the appearance of a genuine adventure world in the midst of the South Seas. Two opposing ships facing each other, a proud Spanish Galleon and a wreck with burst masts and ripped sails are forming the dramatic scene.

In the sand area of the pirate lagoon children are looking for treasures of the former island residents. Three big pieces of wreckage (a ship’s bow, its stern and a pirate hide-out) are equipment elements for the role-playing game, physical activity and, at the same time, for sun protection. The masts and other wreckage pieces were used to build a shack for the children stranded here. To get on board the pirate ship, they have to overcome the ship’s side and rail by using ropes, crossing wobbling bridges and climbing up the rungs.

To get onto the Island of the Damned they have to cross the jungle bridges. It is here where the small pirates fight with water cannons against the besieging players who are getting closer on rafts. It is on the shores where both children and adults can capture rafts to get to the ships.

Of course, also people with specific needs have been taken into account. Barrier-free accessibility and inclusion are of utmost importance when designing playgrounds. Everybody should be able to enjoy playing there. However, any wheelchair driver will need a bit of courage to pull him or herself onto the ferry up to the ship wreck. To cater for them a special guidance system and an inoffensive locking technology have been developed.

The big pirate ship was built three metres below the water level. To this end, a waterproof reinforced concrete basement was cast which at the same time bears the total weight of the ship. Into the resulting 2-metre-deep bilge, the company SIK Holz® designed an authentic staging of black powder barrels, cannonballs, rope ends as well as a brig with exciting effects. Eight portholes have been installed on the sides through which the visitors can observe and enjoy the tropical underwater world. Interactive sound generators create sounds such as the sound of the sea, the commands shouted to the sailors, the creaking of the ship’s side, the rattling of the anchor chain or the distant noise of board gun bullets hitting. At the same time, dim light projections on the walls provide the right mood.

When designing the authentic play elements, it was of utmost importance to maintain the natural character of the wood. Active game offerings are provided in form of climbing, balancing, turning and swinging games which can be played on almost all devices. The pirate shack, the ships and ample seating options on ship boxes, rum barrels and herring barrels on different play levels provide the young visitors with both protected areas and places to get in contact or encourage their senses. Telescopes help to discover the distant areas of the Playmobil® FunPark. In addition, it is very thrilling to ascent the seven-metre-high crow’s nests and to cross the chain bridge to get from one mast to another.

The average duration of stay is relatively long. Both children and adults can spend the whole day long in the park without getting bored. All children coming here will win wonderful experiences while playing with each other in a romantic child-friendly environment.

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