INFINITE PLAY
05 Apr 2023
Previously a bland concrete floor, this playground has transformed with endless play opportunities for children with the innovative circular play structure. The circular structure designed as an obstacle course with a range of other play activities included, this play structure will provide endless fun to the children of Yangon, Myanmar.
FROM THE ARCHITECTS: The playground originally consisted of a big concrete floor with no shading and no games. The design weaves itself around the two existing trees on the site into an infinity-shaped structure. Within the structure, we articulated a series of games, which, combined, creates an infinitely long obstacle course. The games go in the following order: bamboo jungle; fishing net; monkey bars; swings; Myanmar-style hopscotch and repeat itself.
The entire structure is made from bamboo, three different species were used, Dendrocalamus giganteus for the frames, bundles of Oxytenanthera albocialiata Munro for the curved elements, and Thyrsostachys siamensis for the bracing and roof beams. Within both openings of the shape, there are existing trees and seating spaces for the teachers to rest and check on the kids at the same time. 
At night, we installed LED strip lights along both curved structural elements of the playground, this ambient light effect is created by indirectly illuminating the playground, bouncing off the white color tarpaulin we used for the roof cover. During the daytime, the tarpaulin filters the sunlight to create a soft and comfortable environment to play in. The roof changes in height according to different parameters: the types of games that are under; the passage for teachers to access the seating space; different views that adjacent buildings have onto the rest of the playground; and clearing a passageway for cars to access the entire courtyard. 
The entire concrete floor has been covered with painted white lines in the shape of projected contour lines. The 2D topography creates a landscape of imagination-fueled possibilities for games. They were drawn precisely to respond to the surrounding and were painted using AR technology, Twinbuild on HoloLens 2. The playground intentionally does not dictate how the kids must play, it is a matrix within which the kids intuitively invent their own games and journey themselves into an infinite adventure. 
PROJECT PARTICULARS
Architects | Blue Temple
Photographs | Nyan Zay Htet
Lead Architects | Raphaël Ascoli
Contractor | Monkey Joint - Bamboo Players
Architects | Nyan Lin Aung, Bhone Mo
Bamboo Technician | Kyaw Zin Latt
City | Yangon, Myanmar
