The installation, ‘Hills’, is located on the campus of Guan-Pu Elementary School with a long and narrow grassy courtyard enclosed by buildings on both sides forming a valley-like space. In order to offer students more physical experiences during their coming of age, the school instructed us to plan and build up a playground in the grassy courtyard.
The newly established playground is located on the left side of the grassy courtyard, which extends radially from the main space of Hills. It forms a vertical venue to welcome the schoolchildren from all directions and from the second floor and above. In consideration of the surroundings and the diversity of gameplay, we also designed “Monkey Bar” and purchased “Spinning Cup,” and installed them around the playground.
To blend the playground harmoniously with the architecture, we employ the colors of woods and sunshine as the overall tone and use Selangan Batu as the exterior panel material that renders the tactile quality of the surface for climbing closer to nature. Gravel paving material offers the schoolchildren a novel tactile walking experience. It also acts as a cushion, absorbing the impact of a fall while climbing. When they run around in the playground, the gravel material also becomes part of their games. The gravel paving is encircled by a large lawn, a buffer zone for children to have a rest or a close observation.
In terms of the structural layout, the circular frame columns on both sides resemble giant pillars. They effectively enhance the stability of the architectural structure and reduce the demand for pillars, hence a smoother traffic flow in the space below where the schoolchildren find cheerful delight.
The schoolchildren navigate through the wobbly suspension bridge as if crossing a stream. They slide rapidly down the pole as if playing on vines. The accompanying handrails resemble clouds and mist scudding across the volume. The schoolchildren can go into hiding in the caves and peep out at the sky, as well as crawl amidst the soft climbing net and the hard climbing block…
The installation ‘Hills” affords various climbing postures among its layers of platform imbricated upwards. As a continuation of the schoolchildren’s agile running on campus, this installation brings them the corporeal experience of being off the ground via vertical movement. Its abstract volume is interspersed with empty spaces that spark imagination. This installation has materials with natural texture (e.g. solid wood) as its exterior panels, insofar as to echo the philosophy of campus-nature harmony whilst bearing testimony to the schoolchildren’s growth through play.
本案基地位處田中央工作群打造新竹市東區關埔國民小學校園的中年級校區，狹長的草地廣場被兩側建築包圍，形成有如山谷般的空間特性。為了賦予中年級孩子們成長過程中更豐富的身體經驗，校方期望彡苗設計團隊能在草地廣場之中規劃設立一處中年級遊戲場所。
新設的遊戲場域位於廣場左側，以主體空間「群山hills」做基礎向四周延伸，形成垂直性的活動場域，以迎接來自四方及二樓層以上的孩子。因應周邊環境及遊戲多元性考量，另行設計附屬遊具「Monkey Bar」及添購遊具「旋轉杯」配置於場域周遭。
為使遊戲空間與建築環境間和諧融入，使用南洋櫸木作為面飾材料，讓攀爬面的觸感更為自然親合，並以山林的木色與陽光的金黃作為整體色調之搭配。除了提供良好的墜落緩衝，礫石鋪面亦提供孩子不一樣觸覺的體驗，在遊戲場穿梭之間，隨手可及的礫石也可以成為遊戲的一部份。礫石鋪面的外圍則是大面的草地，提供孩子休息或就近觀察，作為玩耍的緩衝區域。
在結構平面規劃上，兩側的環形框架柱能夠形成有如大柱一般的存在，有效輔助建築結構的穩定性，同時減少落柱需求，使下方空間的活動動線能夠更為順暢供孩子玩耍。
橫過晃動的吊橋如越過溪流、爬桿上快速的滑落就像在樹藤上遊戲、與之相伴的扶手有如雲霧流動於量體之間、躲藏在洞穴間窺探天空、在攀繩與攀爬塊面的軟硬之間爬行……
《群山》矗立於中年級區的校園峽谷，在層層堆築向上的平台間創造不同的攀登情境，抽象的量體之間騰出給孩子留白的想像空間，從水平向的穿梭奔跑之外提供了垂直上下的身體體驗，伴隨著孩子在自然的遊戲之中成長。
（全文請見《實構築》季刊25期）
