NATURE PLAY AND ACTIVITY SPACE AT HINDSGAVL PENINSULA
The Activity and Nature Centre at Hindsgavl Deer Park is designed as a sustainable outdoor center that conveys the natural and cultural history of the deer park and the Hindsgavl Castle. In addition to teaching, exhibition and office functions, the wooden building designed by AART architects houses a number of facilities for scouts, school children, families and other visitors who enjoy the outdoor life.
Landscape Architect Helle Nebelong was asked by the local municipality to design the outdoors which surrounds the building.
Extract/Excerpt from Susan G. Solomon:
The Science of Play – How to Build Playgrounds That Enhance Children’s Development
(University Press of New England 2014), p 134:
“Once again, Helle Nebelong’s skills have been put to good use in establishing a place where children can interact with nature. The site is the Hindsgavl Deer Park of Middelfart on Funen lsland in Denmark.
The town asked Nebelong to take charge of the landscape, including specific play areas for children. Her site descends down a steep hill and almost surrounds the activity center. Nebelong, keeping the site as undisturbed as possible, has used winding gravel paths to guide the travel of adults and children.
From a child’s perspective, the key feature of the garden is its collection of mazes of different sizes and types. Thirteen mazes made from plantings, rocks, or logs invite kids to run, jump, and test their swinging skills within the comfortable reassurance of natural surroundings. Nebelong also dug an amphitheater into a hill so that there can be outdoor demonstrations for kids. Collectively, these features assure children that they can be inventive and create their own play activities using only the natural surroundings.”
Location: Hindsgavl Peninsula, Funen, Denmark
Building Owner: The Municipality of Middelfart
Nature playground and activity space area: 28.000 m2
Designer: Helle Nebelong, Landscape Architect MAA, MDL, MPM, Director
Opened to the public 2013
Learn more about The Activity and Nature Centre: Download BROCHURE (Danish)
Helle Nebelong, plan of the activity space at Hindsgavl Deer Park, Funen, Denmark. The drawing is hand-colored by Tim Ebikon.