Gallery: Here's How You Turn a Parking Garage Into a Great Playground
Illustration: Jaja Architects01JAJA-PARKING-Rooftop-Activity
This parking garage design, by Jaja Architects, is part playground, part gym, part Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Illustration: Jaja Architects02JAJA-PARKING-Exterior-Entrance
To prep for an expected growth in the urban population, the city of Copenhagen is developing two new compact living centers: Orestad and Nordhavn.
Illustration: Jaja Architects03JAJA-PARKING-Exterior-South
Along with new parks, apartments, and offices, Nordhavn will also be home to the Park 'n' Play garage.
Illustration: Jaja Architects04JAJA-PARKING-Elevation
Designed by Jaja Architects, the Park 'n' Play concept turns a garage into a useful and attractive site. To attract people to the building, it has a set of staircases that snake up the garage’s exterior, and can be seen from blocks away.
Illustration: Jaja Architects05PARK N PLAY - TAG 02 (1)
The main event—the playground—is on the roof. Jaja's design encourages working out with graphics for Crossfit-like routines.
Illustration: Jaja Architects06JAJA-PARKING-Elevation-22
The stairs were inspired by the zig-zagging escalators on the exterior of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers.
Illustration: Jaja Architects07JAJA-PARKING-Elevation-2
To beautify the building, Jaja included plant boxes along the exterior. The north, south, east, and west-facing walls all have a different species of climbing greenery, to optimize growth in different amount of light.