Krambamboul-affiliated project managers, with whom we’ve already worked together in Belgium and Holland, invited us in 2008 to take part in an extremely interesting project concerning the Middle Ages in Hofstade, Belgium. The tender documents were translated and the design draft was displayed by means of project templates. Discussions between the contracting entity and Krambamboul brought further clarification about the project.
After innumerable drawings, detailed descriptions and technical drawings covering the theme, an application and proposal portfolio was submitted. Our designs on the medieval play theme won over the client in Belgium and we were commissioned with the work in early 2009.
Over the course of several weeks in the spring we prefabricated, painted and assembled all of the particulars for the entire play system in our workshop. This also allowed a safety pre-inspection by a German appraiser to take place right on our premises. By early summer, the towers and other components were then delivered to Hofstade, Belgium in several transporters. Krambamboul\'s project controlling supervised delivery to the appointed castle hill where very elaborate installation work took place over several weeks.
A concrete crawl tunnel furnished by Krambamboul was integrated and decorated by spray artist Gino of Berlin. He used mining motifs centered on funny runt-like manikins. The massive castle walls, which were to be used as climbing walls, were cast in our workshop and erected on site. Hard-to-find climbing grip hollows make it possible for good climbers to surmount the castle wall. Others will undoubtedly drop out of the race to the top from exhaustion. The castle structure permits climbing activities throughout the building. Kids proceed through the main castle tower over a stretch requiring hand-over-hand movement to the old watermill with its giant water wheel. They then proceed to the old blacksmith’s shop and on to the tavern. Details relating to the various buildings and their functions can be found everywhere: old barrels and toolboxes and a giant hammer and anvil that can be climbed. The tavern features giant hams and big pans as well as bottles, sand lifts, guild signs and large dice that adorn the courtyard. There is continually something new to be discovered about the Middle Ages, to say nothing of the castle’s dragon!