{"id":384125,"date":"2025-08-30T03:33:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T03:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/384125\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T03:33:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T03:33:21","slug":"unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/384125\/","title":{"rendered":"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9704fe17770189a5d478-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%;\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 1 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad9704fe17770189a5d478\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"424\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"eager\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9704fe17770189a5d478-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_2.jpg\" style=\"min-height: var(--featured-height, auto); aspect-ratio: auto 640 \/ 424\" width=\"640\"\/><\/a>Jongelui bouwen huttendorp in Amsterdam Noord (\u201cYouth building a hut village in Amsterdam North\u201d), 1960s. Image \u00a9 Harry Pot via Wikimedia Commons, public domain<\/p>\n<p>    Share<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<ul class=\"afd-share__networks clearfix\">\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Facebook\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"facebook_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" data-social=\"facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\n<p>Facebook<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Twitter\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"twitter_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" data-social=\"twitter\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Unconventional%20Playgrounds%3A%20Built%20from%20Junk%2C%20Shaped%20by%20Concrete%2C%20Freed%20by%20Play&amp;url=https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play&amp;via=archdaily\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\n<p>Twitter<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"email_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" data-social=\"email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play&amp;body=https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\"><\/a>\n<p>Mail<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Pinterest\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"pinterest_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" data-social=\"pinterest\" href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F1033445%2Funconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.adsttc.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F68ad%2F9704%2Ffe17%2F7701%2F89a5%2Fd478%2Flarge_jpg%2Funconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_2.jpg%3F1756206874&amp;description=Unconventional%20Playgrounds%3A%20Built%20from%20Junk%2C%20Shaped%20by%20Concrete%2C%20Freed%20by%20Play\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a>\n<p>Pinterest<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"afd-share__social\"><a aria-label=\"Whatsapp\" class=\"afd-share__button\" data-action=\"share\/whatsapp\/share\" data-insights-category=\"share\" data-insights-label=\"whatsapp_sharing_options\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" data-social=\"whatsapp\" href=\"whatsapp:\/\/send?text=Unconventional+Playgrounds%3A+Built+from+Junk%2C+Shaped+by+Concrete%2C+Freed+by+Play+%7C+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F1033445%2Funconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play%3Futm_source%3DWhatsapp%26utm_medium%3DIM%26utm_campaign%3Dshare-button\" rel=\"nofollow\"><\/a>\n<p>Whatsapp<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Or<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play<\/p>\n<p>What if the best kind of play isn&#8217;t the safest? For decades, cities have built <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1032581\/playgrounds-as-political-spaces-negotiating-risk-space-and-childhood?ad_campaign=special-tag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">playgrounds to be clean, colorful, and easy to supervise<\/a>. Yet these spaces\u2014designed more for adult peace of mind than for children&#8217;s curiosity\u2014often strip away <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1032761\/playscapes-and-public-imagination-the-ambiguous-play-in-urban-life-of-hong-kong?ad_campaign=special-tag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what makes play truly transformative<\/a>: risk, unpredictability, and self-direction. Rising safety standards, shrinking public space, and the commercialization of play equipment have only further narrowed the possibilities for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033387\/a-natural-childhood-how-architecture-connects-landscape-culture-and-play?ad_campaign=special-tag\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">children&#8217;s independent exploration<\/a>. From a junkyard in 1940s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/copenhagen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Copenhagen<\/a> to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a> landscapes of postwar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/amsterdam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amsterdam<\/a>, a handful of architects, planners, and activists have challenged the idea that play must be neat and controlled. Their unconventional playgrounds\u2014made of loose parts, raw materials, and abstract forms\u2014gave children the freedom to build, demolish, explore, and get dirty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"thumbs afd-desktop-e clearfix\"><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 2 of 13\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_1.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" title=\"Adventure playground, Copenhagen, 1985. Image \u00a9 Mogens\u202fFalk\u2011S\u00f8rensen, Stadsarkivets fotografiske Atelier via Wikimedia Commons, under license CC\u202fBY\u202f2.5\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad9792fe17770189a5d483\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9792fe17770189a5d483-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 3 of 13\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad9792fe17770189a5d483\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_3.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9792fe17770189a5d483-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" title=\"Band-ship (\u201cbandenschip\u201d) structure made of tires in Oostenburgermiddenstraat, Amsterdam. Image \u00a9 Anefo via Wikimedia Commons, under license CC BY-SA 3.0\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 4 of 13\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_4.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" title=\"Jongensdorp (\u201cboys\u2019 village\u201d) in Amsterdam Noord, 1960s. Image \u00a9 Harry Pot via Wikimedia Commons, public domain\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"thumbs__link\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" rel=\"attachment noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 5 of 13\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_13.jpg\" height=\"125\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" title=\"Park Hill, Sheffield. Image \u00a9 Park Hill Estate, Sheffield - 1962. Image \u00a9 Arch Press Archive RIBA Library Photographs Collection\" width=\"125\"\/><\/a><a class=\"gallery-link afd-desktop-e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9704fe17770189a5d478-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - More Images\" class=\"thumbs__img b-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_2.jpg\" itemprop=\"image\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAUEBAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=\"\/>+ 8<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Copenhagen, 1943 \u2014 Play in the Shadow of War<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a residential neighborhood in Emdrup, landscape architect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/carl-theodor-sorensen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carl Theodor S\u00f8rensen<\/a> turned a vacant lot into what became known as a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/sita.uauim.ro\/article\/8-papastergiou-junk-playgrounds-the-anti-aesthetics?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">junk playground<\/a>.&#8221; Instead of swings and slides, children found loose materials like wood, ropes, tires, and sticks. S\u00f8rensen had already observed that children <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/349953658_Junk_Playgrounds_The_Anti-Aesthetics_of_Play_in_Post-World_War_II_Playground_Design?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">often ignored his carefully designed play equipment in favor of improvised materials<\/a>\u2014objects they could use and transform themselves.<\/p>\n<p>  Related Article <a class=\"rel-article__link\" data-insights-category=\"related-article\" data-insights-label=\"3\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1032761\/playscapes-and-public-imagination-the-ambiguous-play-in-urban-life-of-hong-kong?ad_campaign=special-tag?ad_medium=widget&amp;ad_name=related-article&amp;ad_content=1033445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Playscapes and Public Imagination: The Ambiguous Play in Urban Life of Hong Kong<\/a>  <\/p>\n<p>His experiment emerged in the wartime context of scarcity, when metal and manufactured equipment were hard to come by, but also in a moment when European planners were beginning to talk about children&#8217;s needs while re-building cities. The Emdrup site suggested that limited resources could be a strength, fostering a form of play that was creative, hands-on, and collaborative.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68adb23a5ca4ca0189297fd8-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 8 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68adb23a5ca4ca0189297fd8\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68adb23a5ca4ca0189297fd8-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_7.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Jongensdorp, a children\u2019s village in Amsterdam-Noord, Netherlands, 1960. Image \u00a9 Wim van Rossem via Wikipedia, under license CC0<\/a><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 4 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad97f3fe17770189a5d48b-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756524796_813_unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_4.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Jongensdorp (\u201cboys\u2019 village\u201d) in Amsterdam Noord, 1960s. Image \u00a9 Harry Pot via Wikimedia Commons, public domain<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This model was groundbreaking because it offered no fixed structures, only the possibility to build, demolish, and rebuild. The playground was not a finished product\u2014it was an open process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lady Allen \u2014 Planning for Play<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adventureplay.org.uk\/history_timeline.htm?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A few years later<\/a>, British landscape designer and activist <a href=\"https:\/\/production.english-heritage.org.uk\/visit\/blue-plaques\/marjory-allen\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lady Allen of Hurtwood<\/a> visited Emdrup and began championing the idea in the UK. She argued that <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkingchildhood.com\/2013\/06\/24\/lady-allen-godmother-play\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">conventional playgrounds were tidy, over-managed<\/a>, and unchallenging for children. Drawing from her background in social reform, she positioned adventurous play as essential for developing resilience, cooperation, and problem-solving skills.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 2 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad7fd15ca4ca0189297e71-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756524797_129_unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_1.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Adventure playground, Copenhagen, 1985. Image \u00a9 Mogens\u202fFalk\u2011S\u00f8rensen, Stadsarkivets fotografiske Atelier via Wikimedia Commons, under license CC\u202fBY\u202f2.5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Her advocacy resonated with emerging theories in developmental psychology from figures like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Jean-Piaget?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jean Piaget<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/montessori-ami.org\/resource-library\/facts\/biography-maria-montessori?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maria Montessori<\/a>, who emphasized the importance of self-directed, hands-on learning. Lady Allen maintained that the small physical risks of adventurous play were far outweighed by its long-term benefits to children&#8217;s confidence and emotional health. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udg.org.uk\/publications\/udlibrary\/planning-play?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Her campaigns reframed play as a fundamental right<\/a>, not a decorative amenity, and pushed against designs that prioritized adult control over children&#8217;s self-expression.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Amsterdam \u2014 Mulder and Van Eyck&#8217;s City of Play<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, in postwar Netherlands, urban planner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shebuildspodcast.com\/episodes\/jakobamulder?utm=&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jakoba Mulder<\/a> promoted the creation of micro-playgrounds in vacant lots, sidewalks, and small gaps throughout <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/amsterdam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amsterdam<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/232928240_The_Creation_of_Play_Spaces_in_Twentieth-century_Amsterdam_From_an_Intervention_of_Civil_Actors_to_a_Public_Policy?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Her vision was clear<\/a>: any resident could propose that a disused urban space be turned into a children&#8217;s play area. Inspired by the value of unstructured play, Mulder favored minimal design interventions that gave children full authorship over how they used the space. It was an urban policy on a child scale.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9792fe17770189a5d483-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 3 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ad9792fe17770189a5d483\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ad9792fe17770189a5d483-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756524797_207_unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_3.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Band-ship (\u201cbandenschip\u201d) structure made of tires in Oostenburgermiddenstraat, Amsterdam. Image \u00a9 Anefo via Wikimedia Commons, under license CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Working alongside Mulder, architect <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/office\/aldo-van-eyck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aldo van Eyck<\/a> translated this vision into a distinctive architectural language. Between 1947 and 1978, he designed hundreds of playgrounds across the city, turning empty plots, street corners, and leftover spaces into interconnected micro-worlds. His vocabulary of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/919020\/landscape-for-play-aberrant-architecture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">simple geometric forms<\/a>\u2014low climbing domes, stepping stones, sandpits\u2014was deliberately abstract, inviting multiple interpretations.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ae9abe5ca4ca0189298473-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 11 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ae9abe5ca4ca0189298473\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ae9abe5ca4ca0189298473-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_10.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Miniature city built by children in Amsterdam, 1950s. Image \u00a9 Harry Pot via Wikimedia Commons, public domain<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/office\/aldo-van-eyck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Van Eyck<\/a> designed hundreds of site-specific playgrounds across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/amsterdam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amsterdam<\/a> between 1947 and 1978, creating a connected network of play woven into the city&#8217;s streetscape. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Aldo-Van-Eyck-Collected-1947-1998\/dp\/9085062624?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">He deliberately eschewed fences<\/a>, allowing the spaces to blend into their surroundings and enabling children to move fluidly between play and daily urban life. Many of these playgrounds were installed in vacant postwar lots, transforming bomb-damaged or neglected spaces into vibrant social nodes. In doing so, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/787273\/amsterdams-seventeen-playgrounds-aldo-van-eycks-neglected-legacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Van Eyck&#8217;s work became an act of urban recovery<\/a>, where children&#8217;s play was not just accommodated but placed at the heart of rebuilding community life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Brutalist Playgrounds \u2014 Rough Concrete, Boundless Play<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the 1950s and 60s in the UK, a series of playgrounds emerged that used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/concrete\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete<\/a>, massive abstract forms, and bold architectural gestures\u2014designs that decades later would be reinterpreted in the 2015 exhibition <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/633677\/assemble-to-construct-a-brutalist-playground-at-riba?ad_medium=gallery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Brutalist Playground by Assemble and Simon Terrill.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 5 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68b1857a7f818d056c7ddb95-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756524799_5_unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_13.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Park Hill, Sheffield. Image \u00a9 Park Hill Estate, Sheffield &#8211; 1962. Image \u00a9 Arch Press Archive RIBA Library Photographs Collection<\/a><\/p>\n<p>These structures, often part of social housing estates, resembled ruins or bombed-out cityscapes.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/artanddesign\/architecture-design-blog\/2015\/jun\/09\/brutalist-playgrounds-concrete-foam-riba-assemble?utm=&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Yet children embraced<\/a> them: their warmth in the sun, the echo of footsteps in hollow cavities, the tactile grip of rough surfaces. They became arenas for climbing, hiding, and inventing rules\u2014a form of unscripted play that was physical, social, and deeply tied to the imagination.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ae96755ca4ca0189298439-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 7 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68ae96755ca4ca0189298439\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68ae96755ca4ca0189298439-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_8.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>\u00a9 Park Hill Estate, Sheffield &#8211; 1962. Image \u00a9 Arch Press Archive RIBA Library Photographs Collection<\/a><strong>Contemporary Adventure Playgrounds \u2014 Risk in a Regulated Age<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Adult presence, even with good intentions, can sometimes limit authentic play. That&#8217;s why many contemporary adventure playgrounds restrict parental involvement. In some cases, parents sign a waiver and leave children in the care of trained playworkers whose role is to support, not direct, activity.<\/p>\n<p>This model, found in countries like Japan, Germany, the UK, and the US, persists despite modern legal and insurance pressures. In many cities, liability concerns and standardized safety codes have all but eliminated such spaces. Those that survive often rely on strong community advocacy and creative navigation of regulations.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68aea8ab5ca4ca0189298499-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 13 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68aea8ab5ca4ca0189298499\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68aea8ab5ca4ca0189298499-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_12.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Jules and Gabriel engaging in play at a public playground in Porto Covo, Portugal. Image \u00a9 Jules Verne Times Two via Wikipedia, under license CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Contemporary examples include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kolle37.de\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kolle 37<\/a> (Berlin), <a href=\"https:\/\/playpark.jp\/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hanegi Playpark<\/a> (Tokyo), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.play-ground.nyc\/the-yard?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Yard<\/a> (New York), and Land at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?t=50s&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com&amp;v=kR7QeqLhhSA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Plas Madoc<\/a> (Wales). Each of these offers children space to make decisions, take risks, get dirty, and fail\u2014experiences increasingly rare in urban childhoods.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why This Matters Now<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In an era where playgrounds are increasingly hygienic, colorful, certified, and adult-monitored, perhaps we should ask: what have we lost? What gets left behind when we prioritize safety over exploration, cleanliness over creativity, and order over spontaneity?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1032581\/playgrounds-as-political-spaces-negotiating-risk-space-and-childhood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The right to play is not just the right to enter a designated area.<\/a> It might instead be the right to risk, uncertainty, mess, and unfinishedness. The history of unconventional playgrounds shows that freedom in design can emerge from scarcity, social reform, and a willingness to see the city through a child&#8217;s eyes.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"js-image-size__link lazy-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68aea57cfe17770189a5d974-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Unconventional Playgrounds: Built from Junk, Shaped by Concrete, Freed by Play - Image 12 of 13\" data-nr-picture-id=\"68aea57cfe17770189a5d974\" height=\"427\" itemprop=\"image\" loading=\"lazy\" longdesc=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1033445\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play\/68aea57cfe17770189a5d974-unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/unconventional-playgrounds-built-from-junk-shaped-by-concrete-freed-by-play_11.jpg\" width=\"640\"\/>Children in a makeshift wooden shanty (\u201cJongensdorp\u201d) constructed in an Amsterdam-Oost lot, mid-20th century. Image \u00a9 Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons, Anefo collection)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>This article is part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/archdaily-topic-2025-shaping-spaces-for-children\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ArchDaily Topics: Shaping Spaces for Children<\/a><\/strong>, proudly presented by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kompan.com\/en\/int?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=archdaily.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KOMPAN<\/a>.<br \/>At KOMPAN, we believe that shaping spaces for children is a shared responsibility with lasting impact. By sponsoring this topic, we champion child-centered design rooted in research, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/tag\/play\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">play<\/a>, and participation\u2014creating inclusive, inspiring environments that support physical activity, well-being, and imagination, and help every child thrive in a changing world.<\/p>\n<p>Every month we explore a topic in-depth through articles, interviews, news, and architecture projects. We invite you to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/monthly-topics?ad_source=monthly_article&amp;ad_medium=bottom_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our ArchDaily Topics<\/a>. And, as always, at ArchDaily we welcome the contributions of our readers; if you want to submit an article or project, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/contact?ad_source=monthly_article&amp;ad_medium=bottom_link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>  Related Article <a class=\"rel-article__link\" data-insights-category=\"related-article\" data-insights-label=\"3\" data-insights-value=\"1033445\" href=\"https:\/\/www.archdaily.com\/1032761\/playscapes-and-public-imagination-the-ambiguous-play-in-urban-life-of-hong-kong?ad_campaign=special-tag?ad_medium=widget&amp;ad_name=related-article&amp;ad_content=1033445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Playscapes and Public Imagination: The Ambiguous Play in Urban Life of Hong Kong<\/a>  <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jongelui bouwen huttendorp in Amsterdam Noord (\u201cYouth building a hut village in Amsterdam North\u201d), 1960s. Image \u00a9 Harry&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384126,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[122380,1476,118264,4023,4021,4020,131634,133269,26071,389,133268,30272,49075,4022,133267,77,133272,133271,133270,16,15,23047,5850],"class_list":{"0":"post-384125","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-aldo-van-eyck","9":"tag-amsterdam","10":"tag-archdaily-topic-2025-shaping-spaces-for-children","11":"tag-architecture","12":"tag-arts","13":"tag-arts-and-design","14":"tag-brutalism","15":"tag-carl-theodor-sorensen","16":"tag-childhood","17":"tag-children","18":"tag-children-village","19":"tag-concrete","20":"tag-copenhagen","21":"tag-design","22":"tag-educational-parks","23":"tag-entertainment","24":"tag-jakoba-mulder","25":"tag-lady-allen-of-hurtwood","26":"tag-post-war-architecture","27":"tag-uk","28":"tag-united-kingdom","29":"tag-urban-planning","30":"tag-urban-playground"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115115616600718873","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}