Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Playing in a Fantasy World: Surreal Children’s Playgrounds

Posted: 02 Oct 2013 10:00 AM PDT

shipwreck playground

Climbing, swinging, running and playing are fun for kids on any playground, but the fantastical playgrounds designed by Danish firm Monstrum are so much cooler than any others.

giant mushroom playground

climb in whale playground

Every playground design makes kids feel as though they are in another world – one populated by huge mushrooms, giant spiders, friendly blue whales and gentle dragons.

leaning houses playground

swimming fish playground

The colorful structures look like they came straight from the imaginations of children. There are “leaning” houses, shipwrecks, a lighthouse with a climbing wall, and even an enormous buried head for kids to play in.

dragon playground

monster playground park

Monstrum has brought to life the kind of play places that stimulate children’s imaginations while encouraging them to play and simply be kids. Now we only wish they made playground in adult sizes.

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Impossible Geometry: Triangle Vase Not an Optical Illusion

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT

optical illusion vase

It is a shape you may have seen before – a classic (even iconic) example of a drawn object that cannot really exist, but seems convincing to the eye nonetheless.

optical vase trick

Now, viewed from the right angle, this real three-dimensional vase by Cuatro Cuatros replicates that impossible two-dimensional figure, inviting viewer interaction by encouraging people to line up their sight just right.

optical trick vase

At other angles, it remains a compelling linear minimalist piece of everyday decor – it would be equally easy to miss the hidden meaning but still enjoy the item’s overall simplicity.

optical vase side

optical vase linear

From its creator: “The interposition, orientation and perspective create a contradiction of the space that makes us perceive something that is not. It comes from the Penrose experience. 90 ° is a vase that, based on a drawing, has been converted to a geometrical shape with volume. Depending on the point of view, both ends coincide and make it look like a closed figure.”