Wondergarden im Bobbejaanland, Belgien
On 01 April 2017, Bobbejaanland opened its gates in Belgian Lichtaard for the 2017 season. The theme park that was built by the Belgian singer and entertainer Bobbejaan Schoepen in the early sixties ranks as one of the most famous amusement parks in the BENELUX states as well as the bordering regions of France and Germany. It features more than 40 attractions, consisting of water rides, vertical and flat amusement rides, theme rides and an own stunt show.
The newest attraction of the amusement park is encountered right at the entrance area: a multi-facetted climbing setup, which is composed of different rope and treehouse elements by the Berliner Seilfabrik and spans an area of more than 500sqm.
The individual play and climbing elements were combined in a way here, so that an attractive challenge is presented for every age group. Thanks to the warm colours comprising red-brown and pastel green poles, the beige rope colour as well as the bamboo panels, the installation perfectly fits into the natural surroundings.
The absolute highlight of the so-called Wondergarden is a tree house nearly 5m high, which simultaneously functions as the top of a five-way pentagonal tensioned mid-mast device. The three dimensional net serves as the sole ascent.
These kinds of webs have the great advantage that lots of children have room to climb at the same time, without creating unmanageable situations. The transparent properties of the web allow a view of the climbing equipment from all sides. In addition, climbing in a space promotes the children’s psychomotor skills and three dimensional powers of imagination. At this point, the function of the Wondergarden within the park structure of the Bobbejaanland is especially apparent: this is an interactive playground which stimulates the children’s physical movement and thus presents a fitting addition to the electronic rides.
‘In order to do justice to the customer’s desire for transparency and simultaneously be able to ensure great durability, we integrated a stainless steel mesh in the tree house’s wall panelling,’ reports Marius Kotte, Head of the Department Construction and Development at the Berliner Seilfabrik. ‘In addition, the tension system of the Berliner ‘pentagode’, which was originally located in the top ball, was integrated in the five main tension points in the ground and in an encapsulated pipe, so that here, too, all tensioning elements are protected from external weather impacts.
From a low-rope garden that comprises various climbing elements, one can reach the play area which is oriented towards smaller children. In addition to the two large nest swings and a curved balancing beam, you will also find another tree house here in the so-called Greenville style of the Berliners, which also stands out with its natural and modern design. In this case, the small playhouse is located at a height of about one metre and is thus set significantly lower. The web net as an ascent option is the perfect solution to find a balance between a challenge and feasibility for climbing novices.
The Wondergarden has already been met with great excitement by the visitors. ‘Because we have a season ticket for the park, we are here about 30 times per year. The kids love the new playground. Here they can play and really let off steam,’ says Patrick Haines, father of two daughters aged six and eleven.
