100Architects’s Olympia on Tour installation is a travelling playground meant to transform regular public spaces into dynamic play spaces.

Key features

Wanting to activate ordinary public spaces into ‘eye-catching and exciting pop-up hotspots of fun and entertainment,’ 100Architects designed and installed its Olympia on Tour installation in Ningbo, China, this past autumn. The installation encourages physical activity among children and acts as a communal meeting point. 100Architects understood and incorporated the idea that sports are not limited to high-performance facilities but can be enjoyed in any setting as any form of physical activity. A sense of surrealism is incorporated throughout the play space, with obvious references to sports like basketball and tennis. However, alternative court layouts, floor obstacles and eccentric paint detailing allow children to improvise and make use of their imaginations. Raised, undulating surfaces cover play tunnels which children can run over or crawl through. The installation is surrounded by a running track and benches are integrated into the space for parents to watch their children.

Frame’s take

In 2021, China mandated a three-hour weekly limit on gaming for children under the age of 18 in an attempt to prevent game addiction among young users. A study conducted by cloud services firm Limelight Networks found that gamers from China spent on average 12.39 hours per week gaming, more than gamers from any other country surveyed. With the gaming limit mandate in place, children can reallocate time spent on gaming to other activities. A play space characterized by surrealist elements attempts to tap into a similar part of children’s psyches, the Olympia on Tour design almost mimics the bold colours and avant-garde landscapes found in video games. 100Architects itinerant installation, however, allows children to be the main character in their own games played in this physical space. The firm has plans to bring the installation to other cities throughout China.