London Playground Redesign Focuses on Openness for All

A recent news update from South London reports the complete redesign of the Frederick Adventure Playground. Located in the borough of Southwark near Kennington station, the project transforms a formerly enclosed area into an open, accessible, and gender-equitable play space designed to better connect adjacent communities. This development represents a shift in thinking about urban play spaces within major cities.

The project, which ran from 2022 to 2024, addresses several key issues found in traditional playground design. The primary goal was to create a welcoming environment that promotes visibility and safety while offering engaging activities for a wide range of users. The result is a significant contribution to public space and architectural design.

A New Approach to Urban Boundaries

The most significant change in the playground’s construction is the removal of the high, view-obstructing wooden fence that once surrounded it. In its place, the design introduces a dynamic, low-profile orange ribbon. This feature acts as a gentle boundary marker, clearly defining the play area without creating a visual or physical barrier.

Children joyfully playing on the wheelchair accessible in ground trampoline at Frederick Adventure Playground, a key feature for inclusive play. — A central feature of the redesign is the inclusion of accessible equipment, such as this in ground trampoline, ensuring children of all abilities can play together. (Courtesy of Root and Erect)

This new boundary incorporates multiple entry points, encouraging fluid movement between the playground and the surrounding neighborhood. The open design enhances sightlines across the park, facilitating passive surveillance and increasing the feeling of safety for all users. This approach to urban planning moves away from fortress-like enclosures and toward integrated community assets. While the space is primarily aimed at older children, its diverse layout appeals to everyone.

Designing for Inclusivity and Accessibility

Informed by research from the “Make Space for Girls” initiative, the playground’s layout was crafted to support various social groups and activities simultaneously. The design team created a network of varied paths and zones, allowing for different types of play and social interaction to occur without conflict. This careful consideration of the internal spaces ensures the playground is truly multi-functional.

Children climbing on the dynamic, curved metal and rope climbing structure at the Frederick Adventure Playground, designed for multi group use. — The playground features multi zoned areas with diverse equipment, like this sculptural climbing frame, allowing different groups to coexist and play comfortably. (Courtesy of Root and Erect)

Accessibility was a core component of the redesign. The new structures include specific features to accommodate users with disabilities, such as a wheelchair-accessible trampoline and an accessible basketball net. These additions ensure the playground offers equitable play opportunities, setting a new standard for inclusive architecture.

Material and Landscape Integration

A naturalistic and robust material palette defines the playground’s aesthetic. Tiger mulch, a type of wood chip, covers the main ground surface, giving the area a woodland feel. New trees, large rocks, and log elements complement this foundation and encourage natural play.The use of sustainable and durable building materials was a key consideration.

Orange-edged planting beds are distributed throughout the site, adding color and introducing more greenery. These elements, combined with wooden play features, create a cohesive and stimulating environment. The project stands as an example of thoughtful landscape and playground design, and you can find more examples of such projects in our archive. This kind of work is regularly featured on our architecture platform.

A wide view of children enjoying the various wooden play structures and the large metal slide at the newly designed park in Southwark. — The landscape is a thoughtful mix of natural materials like wood and large rocks alongside man made elements, creating a diverse and engaging environment for unstructured play. (Courtesy of Root and Erect)

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

A shift in risk management, from physical containment to social visibility, is producing a new model for public play areas in dense cities. When municipal briefs are influenced by third-party architectural research on gender inclusion and accessibility, the decision framework moves beyond simple liability mitigation. The procurement and design process then prioritizes integration with the urban fabric over isolation.

The logical outcome is the replacement of high, opaque fencing with low, permeable boundaries that encourage passive surveillance. Specific features, such as zoned activity areas and wheelchair-accessible equipment, are not aesthetic choices. They are the direct physical manifestation of these updated social and regulatory pressures. The final form is a symptom of a system that now values demonstrated inclusivity as a primary success metric.