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A collection of multifunctional sculptures designed to encourage play and exploration in urban spaces.
Established in 1916, Japanese company Jakuets has been producing equipment for playgrounds, nursery schools, and other public spaces for the past 100 years. For the YUUGU collection, the brand has partnered with renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa. The multifunctional objects combine design and play to encourage both children and their parents to discover, explore, and interact with the sculptures in different ways. The shapes of the objects invite experimentation, as they don’t indicate a single, pre-established way of use. Rather, kids perceive the purpose of the sculptures in their own way and then interact with them naturally, resulting in dynamic play sessions in urban spaces.
“Even if children lack toys, they still find ‘affordance’ value in other objects. With these they act out their patterns of play. Children tiptoe along the confines of a narrow verge; they hang off fences; they bearhug circular pillars,” says Naoto Fukusawa.
The designs reference well-known playground elements or everyday items, but look distinctive and intriguing. Bright colors and glossy finishes also give the YUUGU collection an irresistible look, inviting little ones to play and exercise their imagination.
Inspired by the traditional Japanese mochi dessert, OMOCHI is an organically shaped slide that lets children find new ways to experiment with natural movements like climbing and sliding. Likewise, BANRI features differently angled slopes that allow for various interactions between play and balance. HOUSE and DONUT provide new ways to play hide-and-seek, while CUBE encourages children to better understand space.
Jakuets will present the YUUGU collection for the first time outside of Japan, during this year’s Milan Design Week. The aptly named ‘Playful Sculptures’ installation will be on show at the Triennale Milano, between April 7 and April 13, 2025. Photography© Jakuets.
