Hong Kong playgrounds weren’t always so boring, it’s time to get creative so children can explore, have fun, author says
- Whimsical Shek Lei Playground, long demolished, still evokes memories for children who played there
- Standard features such as slides, swings make for dull, cookie-cutter playgrounds across city
Helen Fan Lok-yi was intrigued when she came across old pictures of Hong Kong children clambering over brightly coloured abstract sculptures.
The art curator and designer, 36, grew up in the city and was used to playgrounds that appeared identical everywhere, with their standard set of slides, swings and climbing frames.
She had never come across play spaces with whimsical, curly sculptures meant to evoke a sense of wonderment and encourage children to use their imagination as they explored and had fun.
She learned that the photographs from 1969 were of the Shek Lei Playground in Kwai Chung. Designed by American artist Paul Selinger, it was considered the first of its kind in Asia at the time, combining art and play elements.
But it was demolished sometime in the 1990s, and Fan could find no official explanation. It is unclear if it fell victim to a redevelopment plan for Shek Lei Estate, which was built in 1968 to resettle squatters whose huts were destroyed by fire.
Today, only a memorial plaque remains as a reminder of the original playground, with no mention of Selinger.
