Playgrounds that shape cities

Karmrakhayt Playground is a 2,000 m² public play space located in Yerevan’s Circular Park and the largest family-oriented playground in Armenia. The project reintroduces the memory of the Getar River, once a natural waterway of the city. At its center lies an 8-meter Armenian mountain trout — the Karmrakhayt.

The concept is inspired by the Armenian mountain trout, Karmrakhayt, symbolizing local ecology and the importance of clean water. Landforms, nets, slides, and tactile surfaces form a flowing terrain encouraging exploration and imagination. Natural materials, permeable surfaces, and resilient landscaping create a sustainable and inclusive environment for children aged 0−12 and their families.

Inspired by Armenian carpet patterns and mythology, Vishapagorg translates cultural symbols into play.

Vishaps, animals, patterns, and colors rooted in tradition — here culture is not decoration, it is experienced through movement.

As the world’s first carpet-playground, Vishapagorg spans 800 square meters of sensory storytelling, combining carpet geometry with enhanced safety and a color palette inspired by natural dyes and traditional craftsmanship.

Inclusion is built into the very structure of Vishapagorg, with a barrier-free surface, tactile and Braille paths, musical and sensory elements, and play features accessible to children with different physical, sensory, and cognitive abilities.

Result:
A unique identity-driven playground impossible to replicate elsewhere.

The project explores how scientific thinking can become physical experience rather than information displayed on a wall. The playground transforms Armenia’s scientific legacy into a public space where children learn through interaction and play.

The playground occupies a compact 675 m² site. At the center of the playground stands Yerevan’s first three-level vertical play tower, rising 6 meters and crowned by the city’s tallest spiral slide. The structure is conceived as a gradual ascent through layers of scientific thinking — from physical interaction and balance on the lower levels to spatial awareness and observation at the top. LED-lit vertical supports transform the tower into a luminous landmark after sunset.

Across the playground, scientific principles are translated into interactive play zones inspired by Armenian scientific heritage — from rotational systems and lunar gravity experiments to tactile translation games and RGB-based light installations referencing the invention of color television.