A contemporary playground and a verdant garden enrich the urban landscape of Plaka

Athens gains a state-of-the-art and safe playground below the eastern edge of the Acropolis Rock. The new play area in Plaka and the restored garden surrounding it were created under an exclusive donation by the Onassis Foundation in the framework of the “Adopt Your City” program.

Photo: Giagkos Papadopoulos

In a city in transition, the Onassis Foundation constantly enriches the urban character around the neighborhood of Athens with interventions that upgrade the everyday lives of its residents. More specifically, a new state-of-the-art playground of 2,440 s.m. was delivered to the little Athenians, encouraging their play never to find a stop. The playground is framed by a verdant garden with distinct natural paths, while visitors can enjoy a singular view of the rock and the wall through its premises.

The “Acropolis Garden―Playground” project was realized under an exclusive donation by the Onassis Foundation, in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens and the ELLINIKI ETAIRIA―Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage. ELLINIKI ETAIRIA proposed the project to the Municipality of Athens and undertook its design. The main design principles are the selection of natural materials, which complement the image of the olive grove that the park retains today, as well as the respect for the Acropolis Rock and the highlighting of their co-existence. The playground was conceived as a nexus of activities for the whole family. It is addressed to preschool, school, and adolescent children and remains accessible by wheelchair at its lowest level.

Photo: Kiki Papadopoulou

A state-of-the-art space for entertainment and culture

The play areas of the playground were organized on two levels to make optimal use of the park’s entire surface area. A nest swing and a sound and communication sensory play element can be found at the lowest level. On the sloping level between the lower and middle levels, children may encounter the water element and decide which route the water shall follow, thanks to the alternative options provided by the channels. The second area extends across the upper level, is addressed to preschool, school, and adolescent children, and is designed to accommodate climbing, balancing, and sliding activities. Finally, in the olive grove’s clearing, a soil-made stage hosting bleachers on one of its sides was created 40 cm above the rest of the paving to enhance the work of theatrical and other teams and the organization of traditional team games.

The playground is embraced by a restored verdant garden, in which the existing planting strategies were preserved and amplified with new ones, aiming to create an Attic Mediterranean landscape. More specifically, a total of 876 plantings were implemented, of which seventeen are new trees. At the same time, the urban equipment was renewed entirely, the paths and stairs were formulated with natural materials, waste baskets were installed, and the park was fully upgraded to a play, entertainment, and recreation area. The aspiration behind the garden is to help children connect with nature, as well as better understand and love the environment.