Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten
Landscape Planning and Garden Design for ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp.
Utilization of the open rooftop space made it possible to enhance the kindergarten's edutainment needs without sacrificing the preservation of the historic courtyard buildings and trees. The rubberized playground surface material cloaks the entire roof in varying hues of earth tones and provides a safe and comfortable surface on which the children can run, jump, fall, laugh, crawl and climb. The rich colors were derived from the vibrant pallet of colors that wrap the eves of the ancient Chinese buildings, further referencing the connection between the old and new.
Download Press Kit № 120780
Download Press Kit № 120780 Landscape Planning and Garden Design for ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. by ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.
Available Now for Your Next Story
At architecture|newsroom, we understand the pressures and deadlines journalists face. That’s why we offer exclusive access to our curated press kits and high-resolution images, tailored for accredited journalists. These resources are designed to enrich your stories with depth and visual appeal, spotlighting the world's most innovative designs.
Please Note:
- Credit the work's creator and/or photographer.
- Mention architecture|newsroom as your source.
- Share your published pieces with us; we love to celebrate and promote your work on our platform and social media.
Let’s Collaborate: Your stories matter. architecture|newsroom is here to support you with quality, accessible content. Once you are accredited, reach out for the images and content you need. We will provide the specific images and content directly, along with recommendations on works to feature.
Get Accredited Easily: Quick access to our resources requires media accreditation. Apply for media accreditation to join our network and start exploring a wealth of design stories.
Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten by ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp
Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.
Landscape Planning and Garden Design by ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp
Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten
Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp Landscape Planning and Garden Design
Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp Brand Logo
Download 1800 Pixels JPEG Image.
Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten Landscape Planning and Garden Design Press Releases
Press resources for Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten are offered in several languages: English.
Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten Landscape Planning and Garden Design Media Articles
Utilize our prepared articles to feature Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten, available in the languages: English, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Dutch, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic (Standard) and Portuguese.
Unique Properties
The bold rooftop playground atop the Yuecheng Kindergarten, is a new outdoor discovery area for an international kindergarten institution that aims to encourage early childhood learning and appreciation of nature during play. The landscape architects worked closely with the architects to utilize the contemporary 43,800 square foot roof that is perfectly attuned to top off the newly constructed annex building to the kindergarten, enveloping a historic courtyard on site.
Tags
Kindergarten, Culture, Play Area Design, Rooftop Garden，History Heritage
Production Technology
The innovative decision to elevate the play space to the roof tops accomplished the goal of preserving the integrity of the existing historical courtyard building, respecting the memory of the site, while providing children valuable space to play and run freely within the very tight constraints of the site. The use of a dominant and stylized Chinese cloud motif not only act as an interplay between the contemporary building rooftop and the historic building, it also unites the ancient and ultra-modern design philosophies of the complex to serve as a bold, intellectual and design statement for the children to appreciate the harmonious co-existence of their cultural, historical and natural heritage.
Design Challenge
The landscape architects were involved early in the conceptual process of the project, collaborating with the architects on how best to use this site. With the building footprint utilizing most of the site area, little room was left for outdoor activity areas for the children attending the school. It was decided to go up and let the roof top of the newly constructed building create an expansive and imaginative play space for the 400 school children. The determination of placing open play spaces on the roof lead to an inundation of imaginative ideas and designs. It was established early that the space would encompass a broad spectrum of diverse and flexible spaces offering tactile experiences and play, without over prescribing the use of the areas.
Project Duration
The project started in April 2017, and was completed in 2019. It is located in Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.
Operation Flow
The roof area offers different zones for play, a dominant stylized motif unites the entire area as a singular space. The subtly undulating forms are punctuated by color bands that changes color as the landform elevation increase. The colors transform from a rich red at the base level up to a soft cream color on the peaks of the landforms. This approach is not only aesthetically appealing but also functions as a visual learning tool for the children, illustrating in a fundamental way, topography and changes in elevation. The wide, open character of the roof play area was specifically designed to meet the playing needs of children across age groups, and one of the innovative offerings is a continuous loop that wraps around the historic buildings to serve as a tricycle track. ''Hills and Plains'' in the southwest corner of the roof creates a high and low landscape that encourages children to climb, jump and crawl. Circular light wells punctuate the tops of several of the hills allowing views into the building below, purposely encouraging children’s exploration and curiosity. Functionally, these light wells funnel light into the rooms below but also bring about intrigue and teach children about depth perception. Molds and bumps surreptitiously erupt from the smooth surface in unexpected areas of the roof creating a multi-dimensional tactile experience and provide a gathering space for an informal outdoor classroom.
Research
The lively roof atop the Yuecheng Kindergarten, located in a densely urban residential area of Beijing, China, is a unique and fresh concept in early childhood education outdoor play facilities. The 99,830 square foot site itself is unique. It is comprised of an old courtyard home carefully preserved from the Qing Dynasty and a modern three-story office building built in the 1990s. The new one-story kindergarten building, interwoven between the historic and contemporary buildings, fills out the entire site. The traditional courtyard home preserved in the center of the new construction was built as a gift for a Qing dynasty Emperor’s favorite nanny. It is comprised of 3 courtyards with the original trees planted over 300 years ago.
Inspiration
Discovery, imagination, and exploration were key concepts in expressing the design intent for the rooftop. The design immerses the young children into a variety of outdoor experiences that include inquiry-focused learning and play. Meanwhile, the openness of the traditional courtyards provided inspiration in the new contemporary building for three ''Bubbles''that envelope existing ancient trees and provide important connection points between the ground level and the roof play area.
Image Credits
Image #1: Arch-Exist Photograph, Contrast，2020 Image #2: Arch-Exist Photography/Ecoland Planning and Design Corp., Tactile, 2020 Image #3: Arch-Exist Photograph, Shade Pockets, 2020 Image #4: Arch-Exist Photograph/Ecoland Planning and Design Corp.，Experimental Garden, 2020 Image #5: Arch-Exist Photograph, Bird’s Eye View, 2020
Project Overview
Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten Landscape Planning and Garden Design has been a Golden winner in the Landscape Planning and Garden Design award category in the year 2020 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
Golden Recognition
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2021, a testament to excellence of their work Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten Landscape Planning and Garden Design.
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. Press Releases
Numerous press releases on ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. and their achievements are at your disposal, inviting press members to use them freely in their coverage. Unlock 1 press releases now, directly accessible to journalists.
Introducing the Play Garden for Yuecheng Kindergarten
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. unveils a groundbreaking rooftop playground for Yuecheng Kindergarten, promoting early childhood learning and appreciation of nature through innovative landscape planning and garden design in Beijing, China.
ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. Newsroom
Explore ECOLAND Planning and Design Corp. Newsroom to uncover award-winning design projects and more.
