Photo: Caroline Gutman/Bloomberg.
A 20-swing structure for visitors of all ages at the Anna C. Verna playground in Philadelphia.
In the Swedish retirement community where reader Stuga40 lives, there’s a playground for adults. Of course, the Swedes are always ahead of the rest of the world on quality-of-life things, but the idea of all-ages playgrounds is catching on in other countries, too.
Alexandra Lange reports at Bloomberg, “A swing can be the simplest thing: two chains attached to a board, a rope knotted through a disc, a chair suspended from above. Swings appear on ancient Greek vases as instruments of leisure, and in eighteenth century Thailand as vehicles for competition.
“That’s the thing about swings: They can be sociable, but they are also physical. This inviting duality has often been undermined by public safety standards, which discourage swings for more than one person and mandate that they be far apart. After a certain age, swinging solo loses its thrill.
“But at Anna C. Verna Playground at Philadelphia’s FDR Park, on the south side of the city, the largest swing set in North America was designed to test those limits. Not by creating unsafe play, but by transforming those standards into something challenging, unusual, beautiful and rewarding for swingers of all ages.
“The playground, which opened in October and was designed by WRT Design with Studio Ludo as play consultant, features two acres of nature-based play, including seven slides of increasing height and speed, two steel-and-rope ‘birdhouses’ ascended by climbing nets, three log climbers, and assorted shady picnic tables, rock circles and sit-able logs.
“The centerpiece, however, is the 120-by-100-foot elliptical ‘megaswing’ from which 20 different swings of five different types hang in invitation to all the users of the park — from homeschool moms to tailgating Eagles fans, teenagers on a half-day to grandparents with toddlers, all of whom can train, bus, cycle or drive to the park.
“ ‘We are social animals, and play fosters social relationships,’ says landscape architect Meghan Talarowski, executive director of Studio Ludo, who is also a certified playground safety inspector. …
“At a time when many cities and business owners seem to want nothing to do with teenagers, it is refreshing to see a brand new public space issue them an invitation — and to go there and see that happening. Toronto urbanist Gil Penelosa, founder of 8 80 Cities, has long argued that designing a city that works for eight-year-olds and 80-year olds is a city that works for everyone. …
“Talarowski [got] her shot at the Anna C. Verna Playground in Philly, where she nestled a smaller ellipse — still equivalent to the size of a baseball infield — into FDR Park’s existing lagoon, like the thrust stage in a Shakespearean theater.
“ ‘There was this natural curve in the lagoon, and we were trying to connect the play design to the site conditions, without taking down any trees,’ says Allison Schapker, chief operations and projects officer for the Fairmount Park Conservancy, which is working with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation on the multi-phase, climate-sensitive $250 million dollar FDR Park Plan. ‘This is the point, if you are swinging high, you get views back to center city Philadelphia, so we are connected with both nature and the city.’ …
“The Anna C. Verna Playground is phase one in the restoration of FDR Park; the master plan is also by WRT. As part of their commitment to keeping things natural, WRT specified very little paint and plastic: The slides and climbing structures are stainless steel and rope, much of the seating is rocks and logs, the swings themselves are black plastic, plus more metal and rope. The big swing and the playground’s other custom pieces were designed in collaboration with equipment manufacturer Berliner Seilfabrik. Underfoot, the springy safety surface is not the flip-flop colored rubber of most playgrounds, or high-maintenance and inaccessible woodchips, but a permeable and recyclable cork product that comes in a subtle, toasted brown. ‘We feel strongly playgrounds should be sophisticated,’ says Talarowski.
“Sophistication [signals] to users that this equipment isn’t just for kids. As part of their two-year community process, the conservancy ‘did engagement activities on site with kids and their families,’ says Schapker. ‘Overwhelmingly, across every age group, they said they wanted to swing.’ ”
More at Bloomberg, here. Long article. Great pictures. No firewall.
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