Forward Backward Sideways Pull in Playing in the Westfalenpark

The Westfalenpark Dortmund is a popular destination for children, young people and families from the city and the region as a play, adventure and recreation area. Due to its historical development, there is a demand to offer attractive experience spaces in the park and to enhance or create them again and again with new impulses. The task of the competition was the development of a conceptual framework plan for the play arch as well as the detailed revision of the Kaiserhain as the prelude to the play arch and the Robinson playground as the largest play area in the park. At the Kaiserhain, the oldest part of the park, the focus is on the spacious, tree-covered area around the water basin. The image of the historic park is strengthened and partly restored. The main role is played by the arrival and the stay on the square with a view into the park. Playing takes place here subordinately under the tree canopy. The interspersed play opportunities follow the theme "nostalgic playground".

In the future, the play arch should be more readable for the user and recognizable as a special path in the park. To this end, a coloured strip will be added which effectively traces the curve of the path in visual terms. Games such as bouncing games or puzzles are integrated into this coloured strip. Signposts to other play areas stretch across the path. The colour stripe becomes a "red thread" that accompanies the play area and a playable ribbon to which the other play stations dock. Design rules are formulated for these, which are to be implemented in the medium term in the course of maintenance measures at the existing stations. In the course of the redesign of the Robinson playground, the play arch will be relocated to the south and will lead to a playable adventure bridge. From here, the view of the extensive play landscape of the Robinson playground is possible. The goal is to carve out the existing valley space again and make it the centerpiece of the new playscape as a natural playground. To achieve this, the valley floor

will be supplemented by a naturally designed stream and cleared of all fixtures and play equipment. In various areas with sand or stone banks, reed zones and lying tree trunks, the children can play freely with natural materials. The watercourse forms a second "peninsula" on which a small hut village takes up the Robinson theme. The adventure bridge spans this watercourse. With its two iconic towers, it becomes the identification element of the Robinson playground. They can both be used as lookout towers, with a tunnel slide leading down from one tower and a spacenet leading up in the other. Between the towers there is a suspension bridge that can be used without barriers. The western part of the bridge absorbs the difference in height to the neighbouring area and forms a play wall with numerous elements for sitting, climbing, crawling and sliding through. Further play facilities are located on the two valley slopes.