When a sculptor designed a first-of-its-kind playground for Hong Kong kids
American artist Paul Selinger created huge sculptures for children to climb on and explore in the 1960s
“Mr Selinger is planning eight to 10 sculptures about 15 feet high and ranging from 20 feet to 100 feet long. The combination of the rough concrete and the terrazzo – marble chips which polish off to make a smooth surface – will add to the visual effect.
“‘You can’t have sculpture that is dangerous, where children might slide off if the surface is wet, but where your intention is for children to slide, you need a smooth surface,’ said Mr Selinger. Although he has been thinking about such a playground for several years, it was not until last July that he decided to do something about it.”
On April 10, 1969, the Post reported that “now under construction in Hongkong is Southeast Asia’s first sculpture playground. Perfectly located near the Shek Lei resettlement estate out on the Castle Peak Road”.
“The playground will consist of huge abstract sculptures – one even 64 feet long. One of the two murals will be on the ground and used as a roller-skating rink, the other on the side of a mountain 300 feet long and 90 feet high. Paul claims that visitors will be able to walk right into them – relating to them from the inside not purely from the outside as in conventional sculptures. Seen from over a mile away it will probably be one of the world’s largest paintings.”
On September 4 that year, the Post witnessed the opening of the “Shek Lei Playground. It is located on three-quarter acres of ground in the Shek Lei resettlement estate”.
“It […] comprises three terraces linked by stone steps. On each terrace are enormous pieces of abstract sculptures described as the ‘labyrinth,’ the ‘bat-wing slide,’ and the floating platform.