Natural Style Outdoor Playground at Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town | Kaiping, China
- 620㎡ nature-style outdoor playground in the atrium of a hotel at Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town, Kaiping. Using handcrafted cement rock sculpture and tree-textured columns, the playground blends seamlessly with the heritage architecture while providing multi-level exploration play.
Project Background Located in Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town, Kaiping City, Guangdong, historic brick walls and colonial-style architecture tell the story of a century-old trading port. Cowboy was honored to create a 620-square-meter nature-style outdoor playground in the hotel atrium within the ancient town's core area, where nature exploration and heritage coexist in harmony.
Design Philosophy The initial intention was to respect the site's original character. Instead of using overly bright artificial colors, we adopted a "nature" design philosophy. By leveraging the existing lawn terrain, the playground appears to "grow" from the earth. Through exceptional handcrafting techniques of cement rock sculpture and tree-textured columns, cement is given the rough texture of rock and the annual rings of trees, perfectly mimicking natural forms while offering high durability and safety.
Four Exploration Platforms Winding paths, exciting yet safe slides, and rhythmically placed stairs connect four uniquely shaped natural platforms:
Exploration Platform: Close to the ground, featuring a tactile sensory zone for young children and wooden logs, allowing kids to safely touch and experience nature.
Climbing Platform: Equipped with tree-textured columns and six-strand steel wire rope net climbing equipment, offering a gentle challenge that helps children improve balance and courage.
Lookout Platform: As the highest point, children can peek through the leaves at the ancient town's rooftops, experiencing the thrill of being "little explorers."
Return Platform: Spiraling down a slide or a helical staircase allows kids to "return to the ground" quickly, enjoying the excitement of speed and completing a journey from earth to canopy and back.
Craftsmanship & Safety The six-strand steel wire rope provides superior load-bearing capacity, effectively preventing deformation and breakage while its smooth texture is safe for children's hands. All stainless steel fittings are polished with rounded edges to prevent scratches. As a one-stop supplier, Cowboy maintained control over the entire process — from conceptual design and artisanship to on-site construction — precisely realizing the outdoor playground design and integrating techniques with modern play equipment.
- 620㎡ nature-style outdoor playground in the atrium of a hotel at Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town, Kaiping. Using handcrafted cement rock sculpture and tree-textured columns, the playground blends seamlessly with the heritage architecture while providing multi-level exploration play.