Playground Eierplatz Monheim

Danish artist Jeppe Hein has created a place of encounter centrally on Eierplatz square: an artistically designed, colorful playground and an interactive water pavilion invite young and old alike to linger, play and marvel.

In the heart of Monheim Mitte, Jeppe Hein has created one of his popular water features. Its delicate water fountains are arranged in overlapping ovals, thus making humorous reference to the meaning of the name Eierplatz (“Egg Square”). Like walls of water, they rise and fall at ground level in ever-changing, unpredictable constellations. By doing so, they invite children in particular to move around in the spaces thus created and skillfully avoid the water. When playing with the unpredictable dynamics, a communicative exchange arises of its own accord.

When the artist learned that a playground for children was to be built in the immediate vicinity, he immediately had the idea of making it a piece of art, too. To achieve this, Hein combined elements from his earlier work and, for the first time ever, converted them into playground equipment: the bright yellow, whimsically curved benches (“Modified Social Benches”) and the arched lanterns (“Street Lamps”), which can already be found as individual works of art in other cities, now unite to attract attention together. They invite you to swing, slide and climb, while the surrounding seating tempts people to sit and linger. The plants around the edge of the playground and the soft-impact surface trace oval shapes in various shades of green and, like the water pavilion, make formal reference to “Egg Square”.

The overall result is a unique ensemble that becomes a meeting place at the interface of art, design and urban planning. Jeppe Hein’s art is often very true to life and has a strong social dimension that enriches everyday life and brings people together. He wants to “open people’s hearts with playful moments,” as the artist himself explained at the inauguration of his work in Monheim, because: “Art is a language without words; you have to experience and feel it.”