Ghosts in Dortmund
The playground on Akazienstraße in Dortmund was advertised as part of a competition under the theme ‹Spooky›. An exciting topic that stimulates the imagination, but can also offer fear potential. SIK-Holz® consultant Jens Schmieding-Borgsen has managed to find a motif that children are familiar – the ghost train. The spook begins in an old castle ruin, as an integratively designed sand play area with many offers for experimenting, as well as role and sense games. Right next to the castle tower there is a ghost train car ready for departure. Following the rails ‹climbing›, it goes through an ‹eerie forest›. It dominates the playground and is immediately a tangent that connects the singly play areas. The post heights range between 3 and 6 m. A climbing balancing course with large spider nets, rope ladders, hanging ropes and balancing elements spans between the posts. There are many paths that lead to the 2.5 m high slide. Spiders, bats and a hissing cat accompany passengers on the ghost train. It continues past a ghost bedroom to a ‹flying carpet›, an integrative range of swings for many children in a confined space. The final stop of the ghost train invites to a ‹haunted break› in two stabled ghost wagons. After a short break it is time to get back to the ghost train again – only backwards.