West End Alexandria Playground
2024-2025
Playground design
Concept design
Illustration
3D modelling
Rendering
Soft engineering
Design in wood
Inspired by the spirit of exploration and discovery of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this iconic playground is not just a playspace but a call to adventure. In the heart of Alexandria, Virginia (USA), two large-scale dirigibles will soon welcome visitors at Landmark Mall - a space that could have been dreamt up by Jules Verne himself!
A 3-year-long design journey that started with a blank canvas and a world of possibilities. More a theme park than a playground, the captivating and dynamic scene features a giant blimp rising above a sea of clouds—a playground suspended in the air where a large crew of kids can experience what it’s like to fly!
Portholes offer glimpses of the horizon and create a unique sky-high perspective, while large net floors and gapped cladding add transparency and a butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.
The smaller airship has crash-landed, leaving a ripple in the ground and making all the play inside more accessible to kids of all abilities. Its lighthearted design invites them to explore its quirky charm - an angled floor, a swing, ropes, and two talk tubes reaching up to the roof.
A playground that feels both adventurous and welcoming, and where every detail has been considered to create an unforgettable play experience for all.
This project was designed and built by Earthscape Play and will be open in spring 2027.
Photography 📸 by Alex Klassen & me
Client: Landmark Land Holdings
Collaborators: Oculus Landscape Architecture + Design