Rural · 2024
Tower PlayLab
Reusing an abandoned water tower as a vertical playground for village children.
Location · Rural Jiangsu, China
Role · Lead designer
Pl. 01Tower PlayLab, principal view
Project notes
An abandoned concrete water tower marks the entrance to the village like a forgotten obelisk. Tower PlayLab keeps the silhouette intact and threads a new lightweight steel-frame programme through its hollow shaft — climbing nets, reading nooks, a roof lookout.
Around the tower, a low pavilion houses a small library and a covered play area, so weather never cancels the visit. The intervention is reversible: the steel can be removed and the tower returned to silence if the village chooses to.
Plates9 items
