In a vibrant collaboration that merges innovative design with social responsibility, the design studio OLA Shanghai has unveiled a stunning, colourful modular playground in the heart of Shanghai, China. Installed at the previously drab courtyard of Baoshan No 2 Central Primary School, this project is the latest partnership between global giants LEGO and Nike, transforming a grey, underutilized space into a dynamic hub for activity and creative development.
Spanning an impressive 550-square-meter area, the foundation of the space immediately signals its commitment to sustainability. The bright, resilient flooring is crafted entirely from recycled shoes using Nike Grind technology, a process that ingeniously repurposes materials. Reportedly utilizing 280,000 worn shoes, this move not only grounds the playground in a forward-thinking environmental ethos but also provides a professional-grade, soft surface for young athletes.
The visual language of the playground takes cues from Nike’s basketball courts and their high-energy aesthetic. The surface is splashed with various gradients of warm tones, moving through striking red, orange, and yellow, creating an inviting and stimulating environment. These brightly coloured zones are sharply delineated by crisp white line-markings, subtly referencing the visual codes of professional athletic tracks and injecting a sense of structured movement into the design. Aside from the painted markings, the architecture is kept largely clear, featuring an orange set of monkey bars and a small, accessible mound with rounded, fence-like structures to guide different forms of free play.
While the primary surface encourages physical sport, the true genius of the design lies in the integration of the LEGO philosophy. To activate the vast playground, the brands introduced a series of lightweight, stackable blue blocks—a direct and playful nod to LEGO’s instantly iconic bricks. These elements are essential for fostering genuine creative play, allowing children to build, invent, and reconfigure their environment, thereby turning the fixed architectural space into a constantly evolving canvas for imagination. The blocks can be neatly stored in perimeter cabinets when not in use.
According to the design teams, the overall structure was built with “layered interaction” in mind, prioritizing safety and adherence to professional standards for primary school students of all ages. The design achieves a careful balance between professional sport functionality and encouraging spontaneous interaction. By utilizing vertical layering and blurring the typical boundaries of a conventional play space, OLA Shanghai successfully maximized experiential variety within the physical constraints of the urban courtyard, making the most of the compact site in Shanghai.
Finishing the bold architecture are thoughtful details, such as the distinctive red LEGO block-like seating with bright yellow studs placed along the surrounding building’s glazing. This striking playground marks a significant milestone: it is the 50th of its kind developed by Nike, which has set an ambitious goal to construct 100 Nike Grind courts across China by the year 2030. This project stands as a powerful testament to how corporate collaboration, innovative use of recycled materials, and exceptional design can radically redefine public space for the benefit of future generations.