The proposal uses the difficulties of the terrain to solve a classic dilemma of children’s games:
do we make it safe, or do we make it fun?

The hillside slope allowed us to reach enough height to make them fun, without being a threat to children’s safety. A slide for example, has a height differential (= speed = fun), but is always 30 centimeters away from the ground. So, we designed a cascade of 60 slides. The tree house always involved climbing. Here we used the slope to walk horizontally into the tress foliage. The same happens with a tree house: instead of vertically climbing the tree trunk to the foliage, the slope allowed us for a child to walk horizontally to the top of the tree. Even the fence integrates issues of security with that of creating a 300-meter-long play where children can run and slide inside it.

Project Data

Location: Santiago, CHILE

Area: 4.5 hectare

Project: 2008

Built: 2012

Architect: ELEMENTAL | Alejandro Aravena, Gonzalo Arteaga, Juan Cerda, Diego Torres, Víctor Oddó

Design Team: Fernando García-Huidobro, Ricardo Torrejón, Gabriela Larraín

Landscape: Marta Vivero and Priscilla Conca

Structural engineering: Luis Soler Ingenieros
Earthwork, water recycling and urbanization: Urbano Proyectos


Lighting project: Limarí Lighting Design.

Client: Parque Metropolitano and National Commission for Children Care (JUNJI)

Photograph Credits: @Cristóbal Palma, @Anthony Cotsifas @ELEMENTAL