featured in sb magazine 4/2021
The play landscape looks simple and natural, yet its organisation and simplicity provide the maximum opportunity for the development of children’s imagination. AFA Group believe that simple play with materials taken from the natural environment is important and in demand for child development, stress relief, study and learning, these are sometimes more effective than expensive equipment. Reflecting the typical landscapes of the region, such as mountains, lakes, steppes and boreal forests, the play landscape can be used all year round, adapting to the extreme weather conditions.
The name “Igral-Baikal“ is derived from a play on words. The first word means “play“ in Russian, making a playful rhyme with “Baikal”, a lake located at 150 km north of the city of Ulan-Ude in southeast Siberia.
Ulan-Ude has been lacking quality spaces for families where they can spend time outdoors and wanted to create a new point of attraction. The new playground became the starting point for the transformation of the park into a safer and friendlier environment. Often a playground has been perceived as a rubber field with just a couple of play items, while the new project introduced a different approach.
photo: AFA Roman Kolechenkov
