A preschool center was designed for parents and children ages 3-7. The overall experience in the space, emanating from the eyes of the children, is based on their ability to engage in various playful activities out of creativity and freedom alongside the feeling of comfort, security and calmness and fantasy they feel in the space.

The rectangular space of about 250 square meters is divided into two main functions: a waiting area & classrooms and the free playing area.

It was important to us to plan a children’s space that expresses qualities of calmness and peace alongside versatility, flexibility and movement. The connection to the world of sweets and to marshmallows in particular was very natural for us, since marshmallows are seen in our eyes as a delicate candy that expresses an experience of pleasure and freedom.

The design of the space reflects the characters of the delicate marshmallow candy in its taste and appearance in every detail and creates an interesting interpretation of the volumes and shapes in the space. Just as the marshmallow, sweet and soft, stretchy and flexible, melts and is not uniform in shape, so is the space taking on a volume and shape of playful interactive objects.

Game elements and unique facilities were inspired by the characters of the marshmallow candy. Thus the fluidity that surrounds the entire building expressing the experience of marshmallow skewers around the fire. The slide facility that has become a giant amorphous marshmallow, allowing children a gathering and relaxation area before they slide into a colorful pool of balls. the poles of the swing were inspired by marshmallow skewers and an ice cream stand carefully designed to continue the fantasy of the candy world. Alongside these, various wall games have been designed that activate the imagination and allow children to explore and innumerable combinations of shapes and colors.

The P.V.C floor is a design and game element as well. A track with two paths travel through the space and connects the functions. The beginning of the track is at the entrance and from there it encompasses all the different functions in the space.

We believe that the space has a profound effect on the children’s sense of well-being, calmness and security. The unique game environment focuses on creating a holistic experience that manifests itself in free learning through play and movement and through curiosity and imagination. It is an environment driven by the user experience, offers children interactive, playful and functional elements, which provide them with diverse opportunities for self-expression and a playful experience, and invites them to be active partners in exploring their environment.

The space that combines pastel colors and the presence of a natural birch as an expression of the marshmallow colors, establishes the feeling of calmness and peace and creates a connection to softness and the childish world.

The methodological premise in our work applied in the project treats children as active participants, young entrepreneurs who activate the environment they are in, explore it and ask questions. The design of the environment allows children to fully experience themselves.

Design: Edit Abu Interior Design and Sternfeld Architect
Photography: Shai Epstein