Metropolitan Park
Tres Cantos / Spain / 2023
The Metropolitan Park in Tres Cantos, in the Spanish metropolis of Madrid, was designed by Porras Guadiana Arquitectos and is an exemplary model for leisure and community living.
Nicknamed the “City of Children”, this leisure facility was designed with the aim of promoting social relationships and strengthening the community fabric. The renowned company Richter Spielgeräte GmbH from Frasdorf in Upper Bavaria was commissioned to design the playground. It is characterized by its iconic 12-metre-high stainless steel tower, which can be seen from afar, and its three tunnel slides with heights of 8, 6 and 3 metres. These slides are very attractive for children. An excited “tingling sensation” and butterflies in the stomach arise when you slide down the dark tube with a swing. Exiting in broad daylight triggers a feeling of relief, often accompanied by laughter and screams. The play levels at different heights, which can be used to access the individual slides, are connected to each other inside the tower by climbing nets. The different levels invite children and teenagers to venture further and further up and gradually try out the increasingly longer and steeper tunnel slides. The really brave ones climb straight up to the top level, from where they can get back down again via the 8-metre-long slide from lofty heights. The transparency of the tower ensures the safety of children and parents alike. This allows the climbing children to maintain eye contact with their parents on the ground.
The tower was created with inclusion in mind and offers play and leisure opportunities for all ages and abilities.
