Inspired by wood designer Tilman Stachat’s play ships at the National Garden Show Potsdam 2001, Herr Kirchhoff, spa director of Travemünde, together with the planning office of Trüper, Gondesen und Partner from Lübeck, contacted the artist for planning advice for the pirate ship project at Travemünde’s beachfront pier. This playground is a lovely place for young families with children to have a lot of fun.
Herr Stachat of the Berliner Atelier für Holzgestaltung und Möbeldesign designed the models for a large pirate ship and individual play stations based on the guidance he was given. Owing to the scope of the project and the nature of its artistic design, it was clear right from the start that Herr Stachat would like to realize it jointly with us. This information was greeted with resounding approval by the developers who are well-acquainted with our play-landscapes. Owing to the upcoming “Travemünder Woche”, we faced a tight schedule and needed to be well-organized and work quickly. Thanks to good connections with our steel and rope suppliers as well as to other points of contact for necessary materials, this proved to be a fairly easy task. All of the steel components and steel screws used are manufactured from stainless steel, the ropes and nets employed are steel-reinforced and cut-proof.
We had all of 6 weeks to realize the project before the opening of the Travemünder Woche – from the contract conclusion to the handover. Other companies require this amount of time just for the ordering and delivery of play equipment. The 15-meter long and 5-meter wide oak pirate ship is the central element on the beach of Travemünde. Other play elements, such as the large treasure chest with gold bars, a cableway with a pirate’s nest, a hammock and diverse barrels lend this playground ensemble a lovely expansive look and feel for delightful playing. Carved wooden figures, meant to soften the earnest nature of this theme, were designed and fashioned by the DIDA Holz GbR. Marvelous giant rats, parrots and laughing skulls populate the ship. A monkey is on hand to “protect” the hardtack.
The inauguration ceremony, held on 17 July 2004, was a great success. Indeed, even during the subsequent Travemünder Woche there was no lack of little “pirates” visitors on this ship.