New Themed Playground Open at Helsinki’s Tove Jansson Park

(eap) This summer, a new themed playground opened at Tove Jansson Park in Katajanokka, a district of Helsinki. The facility is a central part of an extensive renovation of the city park, which took around two and a half years to prepare. Under the motto “Mystical Sea Adventure”, the playground combines the site’s maritime character with motifs from the work of Finland-Swedish author and artist Tove Jansson, who is particularly well known for her “Moomin” stories. The new leisure offering is designed to appeal to both children and their families.

A coherent play environment has been created within a small area, allowing children to develop their own adventures. The installed play elements include a large seashell with a slide, various climbing opportunities and a walk-in crab. A smaller seashell with a slide, a balancing boat, a treasure chest, two swings, a sandpit and two spring riders complete the offer. The handcrafted wooden play elements were manufactured by the German company Spielart, which delivered the project together with its partner Puuha Group Oy. Integrated water and spray-mist effects by Canadian manufacturer Vortex provide additional sensory experiences. Natural wooden structures, figures and numerous design elements reflect the history of the site and give the playground its own distinctive identity.

Project designer and landscape architect Stefan Eklöf explains towards EAP: “One of the most important goals for the playground was to create a landmark that represents play, adventure and joy. At the same time, it was very important to us to create something that we hope Tove Jansson herself would have been proud of – something that reflects the values and ideas associated with her work: adventure, play, imagination and a sense of community.” ■