Growing Structure: Kagome Sandpit in Vienna

Kagome is a special weaving technique as well as a Japanese children's song. It's also the name of a children's sand pit in the outdoor playing area of the Vienna MuseumsQuartier. The sandpit created last summer is enclosed by planted willow cuttings. It was designed and developed by PPAG architects, together with Julia Stefanie Meyer and Simon Oberhammer.

Architects: PPAG architects in cooperation with Stefanie Meyer & Simon Oberhammer
Location: MuseumsQuartier, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna, Austria

According to PPAG architects, the MuseumsQuartier's request for a sandpit for children wasn't a big challenge as such. More detailed consideration however revealed that the task was not all that easy, alone with regard to sun protection. This led them to the idea of building a “living house”.

The walk-in (and play-in) willow object is made up of five-metre-long willow cuttings. These are rooted in a soil compartment and horizontally interwoven with one-year-old willow sticks. Willow leaves provide natural shading of the central sand area.

The green tent will be available again from April until autumn this year, for children to burrow, dig and shovel in the Kagome Sand Pit from 10 am to 8 pm.

For other projects on the theme "Building for Children", please see the German/English edition of DETAIL 2013/4.

Kagome, kagome, the bird in the cage,
when will you come out?
In the evening of the dawn,
the crane and turtle slipped.
Who stands right behind you now?
(Japanese Kagome game song) Further information www.ppag.at