Trollskogen, Troll Forest, is the name of the new nature play space at Fredriksdal Museum and Botanical Garden that opened to the public 9 April 2020.
Helle Nebelong designed a play space where lots of new plants, boulders, tree trunks and spaces with sand and little stones are combined with unique play elements as the huge spider web, mushrooms made out of wood, ‘snakes’ to balance on, a hedgehog hillock with its sticks and ropes, play huts and a swing. The old trees were already there and gives the whole space a wonderful green frame.
Bridges cross over a beautiful, colorful mosaic brook, that was established by artist Pia Skak Mortensen together with a group of volunteers.
School classes form local schools painted the fish that Nebelong had designed and cut out full-sized into cardboard, and the children themselves put the small mosaic pins on the figures.
It’s a space where children can jump from stone to stone, balance on stump borders and the snake shaped balance beams, climb the spider web and sneak through the mushroom forest or hide in one of the braided willow huts.
Nebelong worked well together with an interdisciplinary team at Fredriksdal. The aim has been to develop a play space based on Fredriksdal’s identity and make the environment more appealing to get children more active and moving around, playing and being creative. The space is attractive to children all year round.
Drawings: Helle Nebelong
Photos: Studio E, Helsingborg
Location: Fredriksdal Museum and Botanical Garden, Helsingborg, Sweden
Building Owner: The Municipality of Helsingborg
Garden area: 2.600 sq. m
Designer: Helle Nebelong, Landscape Architect MAA, MDL, MPM, Director
Officially opened to the public 9 April 2020