In this research project an alternative playground will be studied: a play area consisting of tools and useless materials, in which children have the opportunity to experience carefree, “unstructured” play with the minimum possible restrictions. This infrastructure was composed, for the first time, in the ruins of the bombed-out landscapes of Denmark, during the German occupation, and was soon established in many more countries.

Firstly, the term of play and the space that includes it will be approached. Thereafter, it will be investigated how playing that took place without restrictions in the public space of the urban landscape until the 19th century, gets integrated into a specific space within a playground. Then, the type of the adventure playground and its evolution over time will be further examined. As well as both the difficulties that arise and the playgrounds’ effectiveness will be analyzed on some cases, in various fields, in comparison to the typical playground. Moreover, theoretical concepts around this playground will be touched upon, such as the opportunity to unstructured play, taking risks, the prospect of adventure and the ability to appropriate and alter the environment around oneself.

The main purpose of this research paper is to further examine and highlight the adventure playground as a new approach based on the past. It will be examined whether it could actually work successfully and replace the already existing playgrounds in crowded urban centers. At last, it is going to be examined the prospect of remodeling-redefining the play arias as well as, the role of an architect in this process.