BLAZING BATTLE OF THE DRAGON
WHERE:
Dubai Hills Park, Dubai - 2019
COLLABORATION:
Insite Landscape Architects
CUSTOMER:
City of Dubai
Dubai Hills Park is the largest park in the city, spanning an impressive 180,000 square metres. This lush green oasis, located at the heart of Dubai Hills Estate, is the largest park in any residential community and is renowned for its natural beauty, featuring 1,800 trees and palms.
To match the scale and ambition of the park, MONSTRUM was tasked with creating a dramatic and adventurous playground. We decided to create a battle scene with a big dragon, which must be one of the most dramatic creatures of them all!
The dragon is an iconic figure known from old fairytales to modern-day culture. It symbolises power, strength and untamed nature. The idea was to center the playground around the dragon as it spreads its impressive wings and attacks a large medieval tower on an island, burning it with its flaming breath. The flames form a slide for children to burst out of, while the dragon sets fire to the wooden trunks nearby, turning them red and brown as they burn.
This playground is sure to ignite the imagination!
The dragon is designed to create play for kids of all ages. the small ones can climb its tail, while the bigger ones can challenge themselves and climb up its back and wings.
The leaves next to the dragon are placed on springs so the kids can balance and jump on them.
CRAWL INSIDE ITS BELLY
RUN FOR YOU LIFE OR FACE THE DRAGON?
The kids can challenge their balance on the suspension bridge or they can take the alternative route to the tower by climbing the ropes on the wooden trunks.
The kids can have a cosy hangout time in the hammock under the right wing of the dragon.
SNEAK UP ON ITS BACK
The kids can crawl inside the head of the dragon and slide out of its mouth.
The wooden trunks form a maze for the kids to play catch in or crawl across.
