Indelukket - a playful interpretation of Søjhøjlandet
Indelukket represents a link between nature and the city, and has a scenic location by the stream, park and forest. We won the tender with a proposal that supports Silkeborg as Denmark's Outdoor Capital and which interprets the concept of 'movement through nature'.
Indelukket converts Søjhøjlande into an experience landscape by using the surrounding nature and bringing it into the playground. The playground has become an excursion destination and a place where children and adults can explore and lose themselves in hours of play. And while playing, they get an interactive introduction to Silkeborg's nature and cultural history.
"One of the reasons we chose Elverdal's proposal is that it fits really well with Silkeborg's DNA. We are Denmark's Outdoor Capital and this playground gives children the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds – nature and the city".
- Kristoffer Møller Jensen, representative of the Culture, Leisure and Sports Committe in Silkeborg Kommune (red. Silkeborg Municipality).
"We are absolutely delighted to have won this project. Combining play with movement, learning and landscape is a dream job. The idea behind the playground is to spark curiosity and inspire people to get outside and experience more of Silkeborg's nature".
- Jens Bo Thorsager, CEO and owner of Elverdal.
— Movement through the city —
Our idea for the playground is to take children and adults on a journey through Silkeborg's unique landscape. A journey through diverse landscapes with detours to the city's cultural history and Silkeborg itself as 'the city of nature'. The main concept is Søhøjlandet’s hilly landscape. The large forests and high-altitude lakes, marshes and meadows define the playground’s landscape. Søhøjlandet is represented by a green, hilly landscape, where play can continue indefinitely.
Across the playground, green grass mounds used for edge demarcation become active play hills. They create a dynamic and unpredictable play landscape that is both part of the surrounding nature and part of the playground. The hills naturally split into zones for play and rest. A continuous wooden deck binds the zones together and makes them accessible to everyone. Via the wooden deck, everyone can get around and easily access the individual play zones, even with a stroller, walker or wheelchair.
Instead of enclosing the playground with a hedge, we have used the hills, the main concept, to demarcate the area, which means they also become an integral part of play and the many play routes, play equipment and zones.
Play and learning
The design incorporates a learning perspective, so that the play quipment inspires children and adults to play their way into Søhøjlandet, learn more about the origins and composition of he landscape - and of course have fun.
Curiosity and the desire for discovery are inspired by the ability to explore the local nature and find clues to Silkeborg's ice age landscape, discover well-known vantage points such as the Royal Chair and Kroghs Bænk, or explore Silkeborg city - all at child’s height.
The Douglas fir, which is the tallest tree in the entire Nordic region and stands by Slåensøen, is the inspiration behind the large climbing facility with climbing cones and two long slides, providing an exciting landmark for the playground. Here, children can safely climb to treetop height and look out over the landscape.
Design concept
Hills, valleys and erosion gaps are achieved by the hilly green zones and play zones between them.
The hills represent Silkeborg's well-known vantage points and attractions: e.g. Lovisehøj, Kongestolen, Jomfrubrysterne.
The pine forest is reproduced in the large climbing system.
Silkeborg city and cultural history are retold at child's height in the urban landscape.
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Location
Indelukket
8600 Silkeborg
Project year
2021
Project no.
5746
