PLAYHUBarovsk by AFA Group

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Thanks AFA Group for authorizing the publication of the project on mooool, Text description provided by AFA Group.

AFA Group：我们对于游乐场的设计总是从深入的研究和广泛、包容的视野开始。在我们看来，在第一阶段，设计技术并不重要，但在一个更加多样化、更具吸引力和更宜居的城市环境中，拥抱积极的变化和机遇是设计的重中之重。这是一个真正的挑战——既要让公共空间让每个人都感到舒适，同时又要让城市适应家庭的兴趣。

AFA Group: Based on the region uniqueness and focusing on the potential Playground is always starting with deep research and a broad, inclusive vision. It’s not so much about design technologies at first stage, but a great deal of focus on positive changes and opportunities in a more diverse, attractive and livable urban environment. That is a real challenge – to make public space comfortable for everyone and to adapt the city to families interests at the same time.

位置：它是如何进行并影响设计概念? Location: how it goes and affects the concept?

本项目位于城市中心：布吕歇尔广场，这里在许多方面都具有历史意义和代表性：地表建筑、古老的建筑和适合步行的街道。但总的来说，过去这里已经失去了它的视觉特征，变成了某种普通的步行区域，没人愿意在这里待太久。它看起来更像是一片凌乱而失落的土地，而不是一个吸引人的公共空间。

所以我们非常希望创造一个新的景点：它将非常有活力，对当地人和游客都很友好，并能从某种意义上为该地区树立一个新的标杆，同时注重空间中的历史和社会意义。

在设计项目时，我们试图抓住当地的特色，感受独特的城市韵味，并寻找哈巴罗夫斯克与其他城市不同之处。我们很快成立了一个设计团队，并提出了一个与场地历史背景和传统日常生活相适应的游乐场概念。

It’s a city center. Blucher Square. Historic and typical in many ways: with iconic architecture, old buildings and walkable streets. But generally, it felt like the place has lost the light of its visual identity and has become some kind of walk-through area. Nobody spent much time here. And it rather seemed to be an unkempt or lost territory than an inviting public space.

So we had a big intention and an exciting goal to create a new point of attraction – highly dynamic and welcoming both for locals and tourists. To set a new benchmark in the region, in a sense. With great attention and care for all historical and social meanings that come together in the space.

While designing the project, we tried to catch a local specialty, feel the unique flavor and find features to differ Khabarovsk from other cities. And the team succeeded in identifying some distinguished ones that helped us to come up with the playground concept and make it match with the historical background and everyday life. Like red and gray brick combinations in Old city architecture, for example, or straight regular development. A city on three hills and two rivers has been given a new life in PLAYHUBarovsk.

价值和功能 Values and functions

如何创造一种将被长期重视的体验？或许这只需要观察和跟随城市居民和游客的经历体验？而这就是我们正在做的：探索路线和周边区域，研究不同的场景，努力找到真正的公共需求和空间潜力。基于这些结论和功能特点，我们将整个空间划分为了几个区域——活动场地、娱乐中心和休闲场所。

我们还发现，在很长一段时间里，布吕歇尔广场仍然是当地赛事、活动和社区会议的共同场所。为了保存这一价值，我们在PLAYHUBarovsk设计了一个大型的开放区域，并通过椴树将其与道路和公共停车点隔开。在另一边，在讲台上有一个小咖啡亭，它既是一个舞台，也是一个休息区，供父母照看他们的孩子。

一条象征阿穆尔河的流经贯穿整个游乐中心，最终汇集在一个带喷雾和喷泉的大容器前。水也是人行道和游戏场地的分界线。

How to create an experience that will be valued for years? Maybe just observe and follow the city residents and visitors’ experience? That’s how we are doing. Explore the routes and surrounding areas, study different scenarios in effort to find real public needs and place potential. Based on the conclusions and functional characteristics, the whole space in our project was divided into several areas – events venue, playhub and recreation.

We also found out that Blucher Square remained a common place for local events, activities and community meetings for a long time. Trying to save this value, we designed a large open area in PLAYHUBarovsk and separated it from the road and public stop by lime trees. On the other side, there is a small café pavilion on the podium, which serves as a stage and also as a lounge under the canopy for parents keeping eyes on their littles.

The stream running along the entire playhub, is the Amur River generalized character. It stops at a wide bowl with mist and a fountain. Water also serves as the boundary between the walkway and the playing spot.

关键设施和空间划分 Key tools and space division

PLAYHUBarovsk的主要元素和空间特色是一个延伸的多层红砖墙，它直接参考了哈巴罗夫斯克最明亮和最引人注目的历史建筑。墙的形状模仿自然的城市浮雕，在场地中起伏延伸，由此在游乐场平面中勾勒出三座“山丘”和两块低地。墙体在每座“山丘”区域发生变化，形成适合不同年龄段人群的游乐设施。

第一座有小屋的“山丘”适合幼童，墙体在这里变成了一个有滑梯、攀岩墙和秘密藏身之处的游戏斜坡。此外，该区域还有一个大沙坑，里面有秋千和沙盘供小朋友们玩耍。

第二座“山丘”是关于创造力和探索欲的。墙体在此变成了台阶，便于从各个方向进入。在这里，玩耍者可以从小溪中取水，让水穿过河道，与沙子混合，建造水坝，寻找隐藏的鱼或动物。山顶有一个带有水泵和水槽的平台，可以制造水瀑布或旋转水磨。

第三座“山丘”为7岁以上的儿童提供了一座塔和滑梯。此区域的墙体达到最高点，形成了不同的坡度和攀登的路线。孩子们可以在塔楼平台观看整座游乐场，也可以速降5米，体验游戏的刺激。山脚有一个攀岩林，绳索系统和蜘蛛网设施等很受青少年欢迎。

The main element and space accent in PLAYHUBarovsk is an extended, multilevel wall of red brick — a direct reference to Khabarovsk’s most bright and eye-catching historic architecture. The shape of the wall imitates natural city relief with lots of ups and downs almost everywhere. Thus, it was not surprising that three hills and two lowlands with different stuff appeared in the playground design.

The first hill with a lodge on top is for toddlers. The wall changes here and becomes like a play slope with a slide, climbing and a small secret hiding place. There is a big sandpit with swings and shuffles for the littles on this part of the playground.

The second height is all about creativity and experiments. Now the wall turns into steps, easy to climb from all sides. Here you can lift water from a stream, run it through channels, mix with the sand, build dams and look for hidden fish or animals. There is a platform with a water pump and troughs at the hilltop, where you can make water cascades or spin a water mill.

And finally, the third one – with a tower and slide for children over seven. Here is the highest point of the wall, filled with different descending and climbing routes. You can view the entire playground from the tower platform and also have 5-meters going down. A climbing forest with ropes, nets and spider webs for the more adventurous, that is very popular with teenagers, is located at the foot of the hill.

红色砖墙在这些“山丘”之间蜿蜒起伏，或变成座位，或几乎消失于地面，也形成了两个大型的下凹玩耍场地。第一个是适合所有年龄和残疾人士的大型创意沙区；另一个则是提供动态活动的区域，有旋转木马、摇船和跳盘等。

The wall gently goes down between those hills and transforms into seating areas or almost disappears to form two big playing lowlands. The first one is a large-scale creative sand zone adapted for all ages and disabilities. The other offers dynamic activities with a merry-go-round, rocking boat and jumping discs.

由于游乐场靠近住宅楼，沿着立面创造一个安静的区域是很重要的。因此，我们决定在这里建立一个缓冲区：一个绿色区域，只有一条狭窄蜿蜒的人行道，滑板车、慢跑者、人群等无法进入。它旁边有秋千和吊床，适合儿童游戏，也适合放松的成年人。晚上柔和的光线确保了安全感，并使聚光灯远离住宅的窗户。

As the playground is close to a residential building, it was important to create a quiet zone along the facade. So we decided to establish here a so-called buffer — a green area with a narrow, winding walkway not accessible to scooters, joggers, crowds and so on. It is adjoined by swings and hammocks suitable for children’s games as well as for relaxing adults. A soft light in the evening ensures a sense of security and keeps the spotlight out residential windows.

绿化空间基础设施 To green the space infrastructure

景观是帮助我们设计和美化场所的另一种选择。对于团队和空间环境来说，保护现场现有的所有大树至关重要，因而PLAYHUBarovsk中只是用新的匹配的树木包围它们。只有少数树干严重倾斜的危险植物需要被移除。为了营造舒适的花园氛围，我们额外种植了果树和花坛植物，如悬挂的花环可以在晚上增添浪漫和吸引力。所有的植物都经过挑选，以适应典型的地区气候，没有特殊的护理要求。

总体而言，在设计PLAYHUBarovsk项目时，建筑师们试图创造出最多样化、最开放的空间，让人每天都可以体验不同的场景并放松休闲。该项目不仅是建成功地立了一个具有各种区域和元素的多功能游乐场，而且还保存了城市的特色，为空间带来了新的活力，并成为了哈巴罗夫斯克的一个新的标志性地标。

我们很高兴看到此项目的落地实施将如何通过给市民带来更多快乐、舒适和有吸引力的选择来改变他们的生活。我们真诚地希望，在今天这样一个丰富而协调的环境中成长和度过时光的孩子们，将会有一个美好的未来并在城市环境中建立起他们宽阔、冷静的世界观。

Landscaping is another option that helps us to design and beautify the places. It was crucial for the team and the space environment to preserve all the large-scale existing trees on the site and PLAYHUBarovsk just surround them with new matching ones. Only a few emergency hazardous plants with strongly sloping trunks had to be removed.

To create a cosy garden atmosphere, we’ve planted extra fruit trees and flowerbeds. And hung garlands that provide romance and charm in the evening. All the plants have been selected to suit the typical regional climate with no special care requirements.

In summary, while designing the PLAYHUBarovsk project, the architects tried to create the most diverse and open space for playing different scenarios and chilling every day. The team’s great achievement is not only managing to set up a multifunctional playground with a variety of zones and elements, but also to save the city identity, bringing new life into the space, and to produce a new iconic landmark of Khabarovsk. Clearly, it’s great to see how the implemented design changes the citizens’ lives by giving them more joy, comfort and attractive options. And we sincerely hope that children, who grow up and spend time in such a varied and well-matched area today, will once build a beautiful future and embody their broad, cool worldview also in an urban environment.