PlayPark is the combination of "Park" and "Playground" where contains both the features of them. It is a place for everyone to enjoy themsleves without barriers, such as social background, gender, ages, you name it!
Hong Kong is a city of hustle and bustle where people highly emphasize efficiency and competitiveness. However, this leads to apathy among citizens, meaning that interactions among people are rare. At the same time, we noticed that the original designs of those parks or playgrounds are not able to cater to the needs of different age groups as the discrepancy between the use of parks and playgrounds is apparent. For example, park seems to be specifically designed for the elderly to rest and chit-chat while playground is for kids to play for fun. This kind of separation may hinder the interaction across age groups. Therefore, we came up with an idea called “PlayPark” which is a combination of the features from both parks and playgrounds to promote social integration and interaction.
Although similar projects are conducted in other places around the world, we have made some modifications. Firstly, PlayPark suits the context of Hong Kong which does not occupy much public space, meaning that it can be built anywhere, including some old and densely-populated districts, such as Sham Shui Po or To Kwa Wan where recreational space is scarce. Secondly, as PlayPark aims to cater to the needs of many people, it can increase the interaction among different generations.
In conclusion, PlayPark can provide a public space for every member in our community, no matter childrens, students, working class, or elders. We believe everyone deserves a place to relax and fully enjoy themselves.