Harley Street Clinic Children’s Hospital is a paediatric hospital in London that cares for some very sick children. We built a woodland-themed rooftop play area, bringing to life a derelict area that is overlooked by children’s bedrooms. What this means for the children is that instead of looking onto a drab roof terrace, they now look out their windows and see a fantasy themed play scene that includes a miniature pirate ship and miniature playhouse, offering them an escape.
The Brief: Bringing Magic into a Derelict Area
Harley Street Clinic wanted to transform a roof terrace into a children’s playground area at their paediatric hospital and to bring some magic into the derelict area.
The hospital managers were keen to install bright and colourful play equipment that follows a rural theme, and this new rooftop play area would need to stimulate the senses and rouse the imagination of the children. The centrepiece of the woodland scene would be a small woodland cottage playhouse and a small pirate play ship ‘afloat on a river’.
Overcoming Barriers: Awkward Features
Access to the site was difficult. There were several awkward features which had to be incorporated into the design and build which included roof vents, dwarf walls and an oxygen cooling tower.
Materials & Imagination: Safety Features and Bluebell Woods
The entire area had to be landscaped and designed to create a magical woodland scene. The floor area of the playground is made up of synthetic grass and is a safe alternative to the original, hard concrete and tiling. A bubbling river runs through a meadow which also forms part of the flooring.
A quaint stone bridge acts as both the backdrop and safety barrier to the play area, whilst the side safety barriers are built to represent an extensive carpet of bluebell woods with hand painted animals including rabbits and deer on one side and a small play ship tied to a jetty on the other.
Accessories and Apparatus: Pirate Play and Snowy Owls
As the roof terrace was unsuitable for accommodating any tall play equipment, a single storey play house cottage was installed as a centrepiece to the woodland scene, complete with a hand painted snowy owl perched on the chimney, all focused on actively encouraging imaginative play. The small pirate ship brims with play features including a mast, wheel, portholes, upper deck and cannons, all serving to fuel the imagination and inspire social and active play.
Project Summary: A Rooftop Play Area That Offers Children An Escape
Both the wooden Tudor playhouse and miniature pirate ship provide an excellent form of escape for children whether they are patients or visitors at the hospital. We are delighted to be able to offer this to children.
Designing Your Perfect Play Area
Use this themed rooftop play area as inspiration for your own project, but don’t be afraid to push the boundaries in whatever way you want. Add extra features, incorporate interesting themes, and do whatever else you can think of to challenge us to make you the best adventure play area possible. Please get in touch with us to discuss your idea and we will walk you through the design process.
Please also take a look at our other outdoor play areas and rooftop play areas for further inspiration.
For pricing information, please refer to our pricing page or get in contact with us to make an enquiry and discuss a potential project.
