I was wandering around Stavanger, a city in Norway, and came across this unique looking playground. It was unlike any other I'd ever seen: raw, industrial, and covered in graffiti. At least a dozen kids were out and about on this particular day, climbing through pipes, running across plastic blocks, and even skateboarding and practicing parkour.

I researched the playground afterwards, and learned that everything about it had much deeper meaning! Stavanger is the base of the oil industry in Norway, as well as the location of a very valuable offshore oil field.  The park itself is built on an abandoned oil platform, and the shape of it is based on the geological layers of the oil field. Even the playground structures themselves were once old oil industry materials and scraps.

Overall I think Geopark does an excellent job of integrating the history of the site into a new and unique urban space, which now Norwegians of all ages can enjoy!

For more information visit the designers Helen & Hard website.

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