Le Corbusier advocated that the modern city should follow clear structures, be pure and simple. Work, living, and leisure were clearly separated from one another – including play. Following the Athens Charter, this view became a general urban planning standard in Europe. We still suffer the consequences today. The Dutchman Aldo van Eycks criticized this functional separation of the city. And, at the same time, he provided the solution: playgrounds.
What were Aldo van Eyck's basic assumptions? How did he proceed? Why were his interventions accepted, even actively demanded, by the public? What can we learn from his work for today's situation?
Aldo van Eyck contrasted functional separation with the idea of humane architecture. Humane architecture aimed to create places that promote dialogue and stimulate community life .
From this perspective, it was consistent not to separate children's playgrounds from the city, but to place them throughout it. As Aldo van Eyck himself wrote, "to revitalize the neighborhoods through injections ." This shows that he didn't just have children in mind in his planning. He developed playgrounds in unusual locations, utilizing existing plots of land, sometimes useless, empty, and dead, to create space for children. Sometimes these were temporary interim uses that would soon disappear. Each playground was given its own individual combination. He adapted each of these spaces to the children's needs with the help of his play objects. The play objects consisted of a set of similar, geometric objects. These were undefined in their function and could be... The idea was that they would be discovered by the children, used in different ways, and thus taken possession of.
Further information at
http://architekturfuerkinder.ch/index.php/pioniere/aldo-van-eyck/