Plaza de España is the first project in Madrid's history to be selected by a broad-based vote with the direct participation of more than 200,000 citizens.

In Plaza de España, we have created a space where all children can play together and learn from each other. Children experience their differences from other people more directly, more openly and more self-confidently than adults. This is why three fundamental aspects were taken into account during the design phase of the play areas: Inclusivity, materials and play value.

The exciting focal point of the playground, visible from afar, is a very special tower. This structure consists of two interlocking pyramid towers, giving them their distinctive “hourglass” shape. The cladding with narrow boards and colorful accents make the tower translucent and friendly despite its imposing height of nine meters.

Richter builds America's largest playground in Tulsa, Oklahoma

On September 8, the largest playground in the USA to date was opened to the public in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a gigantic, emotional opening ceremony.
Over the previous months, several hundred pieces of playground equipment from Richter had been installed on the 27-hectare park site. These include six gigantic towers connected by eight bridges - one of which spans an incredible 18 meters at a height of six meters.
The designer Günter Beltzig, who has been working closely with us for over 30 years, designed a ship, an elephant and the Rondell, a seating circle made of concrete elements with a very special atmosphere and acoustics, for Tulsa.
The "Tulsa Towers", which were specially designed for the project, are 14 meters high and offer a unique view of the surrounding area from their top platform at a height of ten meters.
They have already caused a stir in their place of origin and production, Frasdorf in Upper Bavaria, where the "Tulsa Towers" were erected on our company premises as a trial in June 2016 after completion and only then, after dismantling, were they shipped to the USA in a total of 32 sea containers together with the other equipment intended for the major project.
Two similarly sized Richter towers are already in place at another prestigious large-scale playground in the USA - Maggie Daley Park in Chicago.
Other special features that will delight the millions of local, national and international visitors of all ages expected to visit Tulsa each year include Richter's first vertical water playground, an eight-metre-high tunnel slide and a wooden elephant almost nine meters tall, which is twice the size of a real African bull elephant.
The monumental dimensions of the installed equipment already point to a unique project that the team believes will change playground construction in the USA for the better in the long term.

Park has been delighting young and old visitors alike since opening

The seven-hectare Ellinikon Experience Park in Athens was officially opened in mid-December 2021 and has been delighting visitors of all ages ever since - with a water labyrinth, a forest playground, a Zen garden and an outdoor fitness area, among other things.

The spacious forest playground was realized by the German company Richter Spielgeräte in close cooperation with its Greek partners. To reflect the character of the derelict old airport site, Richter created a unique themed playground here in close collaboration with the Athens-based landscape architecture firm Doxiadis Plus. A large wooden airplane takes off from the runway, inviting visitors to climb and role-play. Younger children in particular can go on a journey in a smaller jet plane. The child explorers can whizz happily through the clouds, especially when someone is sitting or standing on the wings and providing a strong wind. The pilot sits in the cockpit and holds the course. You won't fall off, even in a heavy storm, because you can hold on tight everywhere.

The jet plane encourages lots of movement activities and role play. In the immediate vicinity of the old hangar is a 30-metre-long cable car, where older children and teenagers in particular can experience speed - the feeling of flying close to the ground - and reach the other end of the area with momentum. A climbing forest integrated into the old trees and a tall "tree" in the form of a lookout tower with stylized branches on a small hill and swings in different sizes for all age groups complete the play offer. In the water play area, younger children in particular can pump water, channel it into the sand and play with the elements to their heart's content. There is also seating in the shade. The old Ellinikon airport has been given a new lease of life!

Interesting playground at one of the most popular excursion destinations in Saarland

With around 800,000 day visitors a year, Lake Bostalsee in the Sankt Wendel region is one of the most popular excursion destinations in Saarland. The reservoir, which was created over 40 years ago, has a water surface area of 120 hectares, part of which is protected as a biotope. An artificial lakeside promenade was created on the western shore of the lake in 2008. The water area behind it, a kind of lagoon measuring around 2,500 square meters, is separated from the rest of the lake by a weir.
The wish for the water playground created here was to create a very special play area with a unique character and to integrate it into the natural topography and local conditions. In addition, different age groups were to be addressed and inclusion aspects incorporated.
The result is a water playground that delights young and old alike with a wide range of play and exercise options.
The toddler area (0-3 years) is equipped with a sandpit and a platform with a slide. The youngest children can splash, bake and build to their heart's content here, as well as having their first climbing and sliding experiences on the platform.
The toddler area (3-6 years) can be reached via several suspension bridges. On the island, a wooden ship that has run aground invites children to role-play. The bow with bridge and portholes can be climbed and the bridge, rotating steering wheel and masts with flags in the midship are reminiscent of sailing on the high seas. Pirates and explorers of all ages can conquer the stern via a suspension bridge or a climbing net. There is also a tower on the "Pirate Island", from which a slide leads directly into the water. In summer, it is also possible to take a refreshing dip here.
A wonderfully varied adventure and water playground for young and old!
The play area for older children between the ages of 6 and 10 is located on a second island, which can be reached in warm temperatures directly through the water, which is only approx. 60 cm deep, or by means of a raft with dry feet. A special feature here is an additional raft specially designed for wheelchair users. In this play area there is a large metal ship whose hull is filled with sand and can be loaded and unloaded. Young and old sailors, captains and helmsmen can immerse themselves in imaginative role play here. A slackline, one end of which is anchored on the island and the other in the water, challenges the braver ones to a balancing act.
There are also three sand dredgers on the shore, one of which is specially designed for wheelchair users and can be reached via a barrier-free ramp. Here, work processes from the adult world can be re-enacted to your heart's content. This area is supplemented by an Archimedean screw and several water and mud tables, so that there are no limits to the play with the elements.

The "Octopus" themed play structure in La Pegaso Park in Barcelona delights visitors of all ages.

On August 9, 2019, the "Octopus" themed play structure was opened in La Pegaso Park in the city center of the Spanish metropolis of Barcelona and has been delighting visitors of all ages ever since. The given theme of picking up on the "pulpo" typical of the area was realized in close cooperation between the Catalan architect Jordi Qeralt and the company Richter Spielgeräte GmbH from Germany. The entire animal body with a diameter of 3.65 meters and a length of 9.65 meters was transported from Frasdorf to Barcelona by heavy transport. The special thing about the planning and production of the play equipment was the almost completely digital process, so that in the end the precisely laser-cut connecting parts could be perfectly joined, welded and assembled.
The octopus stands on a tubular steel frame and is around 6.50 meters high. Its abdomen consists of an oval steel body with rubber membranes, wooden panels and rope nets. Inside there are various climbing nets on two different play levels. The inside of the animal's head is divided into two levels. Four tunnel slides lead down from the upper platform, while the lower level has two further enclosed tunnel slides and two covered climbs in the form of a crawling tunnel and an enclosed ladder made of perforated sheeting. This gives the body of the animal its eight characteristic tentacles, which are fitted with rubber suction cups on the outside and are thus a recognizable replica of the original. In addition, there are four rotating disks and six distorting mirrors at the lower ends of the tentacles, which can also be used to create exciting sensory experiences from the sand play area on which the octopus is standing. The animal's eyes consist of two rotating periscopes, through which you can view and observe the surroundings from a lofty height with the eyes of a "pulpo", so to speak.
In the immediate vicinity of the octopus is another slide, which is equipped with a wheelchair-accessible access ramp and a special entrance. This further slide symbolizes a tentacle of the octopus, which dives into the sea and emerges a little further back. The small colony of five crabs in the form of wooden bouncing plates, which are equipped with corresponding rubber scissors and tongs, as well as some coral branches made of robinia trunks, which are equipped with climbing grips and nets, give the octopus' surroundings additional maritime flair and invite active play.

Playgrounds are places of encounter where children spend time with their friends, overcome challenges, experience adventures and pursue joyful, imaginative play. However, for children with disabilities, access to playgrounds or the use of playground equipment is often limited or not possible at all due to physical barriers.

The goal of Corinna Eitel's bachelor's thesis was therefore to design a concept for an inclusive playground for children with and without disabilities aged one and a half to fourteen years for the outdoor area of the Schön Klinik in Vogtareuth. Corinna Eitel, who works as an occupational therapist in the Department of Neuropediatrics at the Schön Klinik, took on this topic with the support of her former fellow students Lisa Birkner and Lale Menek. The work, entitled "The way to play - an inclusive playground design," was awarded the Science Prize of the "Leben pur" foundation in 2019.

In this explorative study, 47 participants were asked about their experiences of using playgrounds and their wishes. The questionnaires were answered by children undergoing treatment, their parents, as well as therapists, nurses and educators from the Neuropediatrics and Pediatric Orthopedics departments of the Schön Klinik. The focus of the survey was on the wishes, challenges and adaptation possibilities of the participants. The data collected, literature research, five expert interviews and the scientific assessments of the authors resulted in the design for an inclusive playground for the outdoor area of the Schön Klinik in Vogtareuth.

The playground currently has a platform combination with triangular and hexagonal modules connected by a 5-meter bridge specially designed for wheelchair users.  A slide with a special seat with grab rail and an extended slide exit allows children with motor impairments to glide down the slide and enjoy the slide fun. There is also a special wheelchair rocker. This three-part seesaw plate is articulated in a protective frame. The rocking is triggered by moving back and forth or by shifting weight accordingly while walking. The joint action, the attraction of playing together, the call to make arrangements, make up the special value of the device. Wheelchair users and healthy people, tall and short, heavy and light, old and young can have fun together. Playing creates the feeling of moving part of the way.

A small water playground with a pump and channels that are wheelchair-accessible has now been added.

Our partner Timberplay is taking part in the "Just So Festival" for the first time

"Just So" is a small, annual weekend festival, an imaginative outdoor family adventure like no other and arguably the best family festival in the UK today.

With a love of stories and childhood imagination at its heart, the Just So Festival allows families to step out of their everyday lives and immerse themselves together in a wonderland of literature, art, theater, dance, music, comedy and creative pursuits.

"Just So" takes the audience - from the youngest to the great-grandparents - on a unique journey of discovery full of mischief and chaos, in a land of magical midnight feasts, curious creatures and hidden sanctuaries.

In summer 2022, our English partner Timberplay was involved in the "Just So Festival" for the first time and presented some Richter play equipment here. In the magical Spellbound Forest, young and old could experience campfire stories during the day and campfire bands at night. Our climbing pyramid in the middle of the forest was particularly popular with older children, while the younger ones immersed themselves in role play in the playhouse.

Room for role play

In the midst of a beautiful setting, among large, shady eucalyptus trees, the „Diamond Creek Regional Park“ nature playground is located in a suburb of Melbourne. In the Round Village with its various playhouses and in the sand play area with a rotating crane and transport system, there is plenty of room for role play. The Totter Trail invites especially the younger ones to climb, crawl and explore. Older children and teenagers in particular can let off steam on the 30-meter-long Cableway, explore the physical phenomenon of centrifugal force and enjoy the airstream.

Play world for young and old

A unique water playground was created in 2021 on the extensive grounds of the private property Ikuna - the name was adopted in reference to the former leisure park with an Indian playground - in close collaboration between the architect, the owner and Richter Spielgeräte. The aim was to integrate the water play equipment into the existing environment and to design the play world in such a way that as many children as possible could interact at the same time.
The playground is divided into different areas - watercourse, gravel works, sand and mud area, mill village and water forest - which are connected by an accessible circular path. The watercourse symbolizes nature as a whole, while the gravel works symbolize human intervention. This metaphor goes back to the client's desire to create a nature resort that is as free of electronics as possible and invites children and young people to play freely with the elements. The main connection between the watercourse and the gravel pit is an integrative sand play platform specially designed for wheelchair users. In the sand and mud area with its terraced A-squares, the Archimedean screw is the main attraction alongside the large nautilus snail, the scoop fountain and the large excavator. At 5.5 meters long, it is the longest screw Richter has ever constructed. In the mill village, the little ones get their money's worth and can immerse themselves in role play to their heart's content on the mill and paddle wheels as well as the various dam and weir elements. The water forest with its slender high palisades was also specially designed for this project. Thanks to a built-in automatic system, no pumping power is required to spray the water; instead, the water falls from above at predetermined intervals, as if from a fountain. In addition to inclusion, suitability for all age groups and the integration of existing trees and natural stones, an important aspect of the planning was also the possibility of providing parents or other accompanying persons with nice places to sit from where they can watch the children at play in peace and quiet.

The playground in Kingston Park near Adelaide offers nature-based play opportunities for all ages and abilities. There are nine different play areas, which the community requested in this form and which are inspired by the native fauna and habitats in Kingborough.

The spacious climbing playground not only provides incentives for climbing, scrambling and balancing, but also offers the opportunity to retreat and observe the surrounding flora and fauna in peace and quiet thanks to the integrated tree house, for example. Birds in particular are a popular object for young and old explorers and discoverers. The Climbing Forest's large vertical spider's web is particularly attractive to older children and teenagers. The sun sails stretched between the climbing elements provide valuable shade, so that relaxed play and climbing is possible even on hot days.