When city officials in Lynwood, California were looking to build a new playground, they wanted to create a play space that honored the area's Space Age roots, but modernizing the theme beyond the 20th century emerged as a central priority. In close collaboration with the City and landscape architecture firm, KOMPAN designed and engineered a cutting-edge play solution with a 22-foot-wide Saturn Sphere and its revolving rings that draws park-goers into its orbit."How many rings can we actually afford to have? What's happening in the Sphere? What's the size of the Sphere? It's a lot of details that we couldn't figure out on our own."Ying-yu Hung, PLA - Managing Principal, SWA GroupThe Saturn Sphere and every design decision made throughout and surrounding the multistory rope net structure was made with the goal to evoke movement. One example is seen in the freestanding spinning equipment, representing moons, meteors, satellites, and other galactic material caught in the second largest planet's orbit. The various netting used throughout the Saturn Sphere will challenge children to crawl, climb, and traverse their way around the rings, then up, down and through the planet's spiraling floors and internal net tunnels.Including a slide in the main play solution emerged as a priority, but staying true to a round, planetary form would be an essential requirement. KOMPAN Design Studio designers and engineers solved this challenge by creating a solution with an internal slide that integrates into the structure's support system, primarily configured around a single central support column. COROMESH, a diamond-shaped small mesh net, allowed for flexibility in creating the three-dimensional, spiraling levels in the Saturn. When landscape architects wanted to give children the opportunity to gaze up into the skies above, a solution was created in an "oculus" cap, that also brightened the play space with natural light. Handmade canvas panels provide internal shading in a design pattern that fosters the same sense of movement seen throughout the play equipment."On the recreation side, we just have the vision and what's needed, but we don't know the details. And KOMPAN was an ideal partner in bringing that part of the vision together."Mark Flores, Director of Recreation and Community Services, Lynwood, CAOther space exploration-themed playground equipment at Lynwood Mega Playground includes a 30-foot-tall rocket-themed GIANT that pays homage to the site's original play structure from the 1960s. A 86-foot "constellation walk" lets kids engage in rope play underneath a grove of native trees integral to the park's broader sustainability efforts. A "Mars Rover" Toddler Playground gives 2- to-5-year-olds the opportunity to discover their own planet of age-appropriate thematic play.