Stone-Ideas.com 
The Boulder Park in Vanke Snow Mountain City, a large development area about 80 km from downtown Beijing, offers a virtually endless landscape for children to explore. Using a variety of materials, the landscape architects at Xisui Design have recreated nature: the massive boulders and stone paving both mimic natural elements and provide opportunities for climbing; the water feature offers a world of its own to explore and discover; and the 3D-printed shapes create man-made play areas, such as caves and tunnels for playing hide-and-seek.
In addition, you’ll find the usual playground equipment: swings, seesaws, trampolines, rocking horses, carousels, talking tubes, climbing ropes, fountains, and more.
The architects champion the ideology-free selection of the most suitable materials in each case. “The essence lies in the seamless integration of digital design and material science, offering unprecedented freedom and complexity in the field of design and construction,“ they write.
At the same time, the planners placed particular emphasis on a “balance of safety, comfort, and visual effect throughout the entire park,“ as Wenqi Chen writes to us. By this, she means various aspects that characterize a good playground:
* Where surfaces are intended for direct contact with children, such as on the slides, the sliding surfaces and sides are made of polished terrazzo to prevent injuries;
* On the stairs or where there is a risk of falling, the surfaces are covered with EPDM – a type of synthetic rubber known for its durability, flexibility and resistance to weathering, UV radiation, ozone and extreme temperatures;
* Where direct contact is not intended, such as on the exterior surfaces of the 3D-printed caves or their interior ceilings, the surfaces are left untreated so that the material remains recognizable and its texture tangible.
The city park covers a total area of 13,000 m². It offers activities for all generations – although it is expressly desired that, for example, the boulders give the elderly a different perspective than the children.
The various areas complement each other: In addition to the boulder garden, there is, among other things, a woodland and flower garden. The areas with the boulders, water features, and woodland, designed by Xisui Design, are specifically tailored to children’s interests.
The banks of the stream invite quiet contemplation. Additional water features offer a more technical and engaging experience.
The mix of materials is what makes this playground so appealing; water plays a particularly important role, the architects write: “In the Water Garden, playing turns into a key that opens the door for children to nature, making every step in the water and every laugh a precious memory of sensing water’s gentle power and experiencing coexistence with nature on equal terms.“
