Ex Polish Coal Mine Transformed into Water Play Park

A former coal mine in Jaworzno, Poland, has been repurposed into a water play park with cultivated fields, designed by RS+ Robert Skitek. The 6,900 sqm project features interconnected circular plazas set below street level, surrounded by green hills that provide shelter and allow parents to supervise children from custom-designed seating. Started in 2015 and completed in 2018, the park gives new function to an urban void, offering a space for community gathering and children's play. The Tychy-based architecture studio, founded by architect Robert Skitek, has completed other projects in Poland focusing on green areas and children's play. Soft, contour-like lines define paths and areas, with lighting and seating distributed along curves, concentrated in the water play zone. A technical building with restrooms is hidden inside one of the hills along the main avenue. Architect Robert Skitek noted that unusual curved bench shapes create quiet green spots for resting and socializing, and that vegetation was carefully selected including rustling grass, colorful bushes, and a flowering meadow, while existing trees in the southern part were preserved to provide shade in summer.