Children’s Playground “Mirta"

Main project.

What benefits does this project bring to the existing space?

The design clearly separates the playground area from the nearby road to maximize user safety – especially for children. A wooden fence will be placed along the roadside boundary, while the other sides are already bordered by 1-meter-high concrete walls belonging to nearby private properties.

The playground’s layout and surface colors are inspired by the myrtle shrub: green rubber surfacing represents its leaves, white circles (beneath the play equipment) symbolize its white flowers, and dark grey rubber-coated concrete spheres represent the berries.

The playground is slightly set back from the plot boundaries (except at the entrance), forming a green buffer zone that ensures both privacy for neighboring residents and protection from nearby traffic. This zone will feature grass and low vegetation with drip irrigation, including actual myrtle shrubs – the thematic centerpiece of this site – accompanied by an educational sign with botanical and ecological information.

Through the use of color and organic shapes, the space fosters creativity, imagination, and active play throughout the year, supported by shaded, irrigated greenery.

Part of a broader concept

This playground, along with others in the series, is conceived as an educational tool. Each is themed around native plant species important to the local ecosystem. All play equipment, furniture, and color schemes were carefully selected to match this theme and blend into the existing environment.

Each playground represents a specific local plant:

1. RELJA : : IMMORTELLE (SMILJE)
2. Š. CEZANE / V. VIDE : : MYRTLE (MIRTA)
3. MASLINA : : OLIVE (MASLINA)
4. RIČINE : : LAVENDER (LAVANDA)

Every playground will feature an informational board about its plant species — describing its role in local flora and fauna, and referencing the other playgrounds to encourage visitors to explore them all. This creates a network of urban spaces that bring nature closer to people, promote education and environmental values, and offer potential as a subtle tourist attraction.