Boulder Park Shandong Province, Chinese 3D concrete-printed playground, China development photos
21 July 2025
Architects: XISUI Design
Location: Shandong Province, China
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
Photos by Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual and Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
Boulder Park – a 3D Concrete-Printed Playground, China
Boulder Park, a 13,000m2 community park in Ji’nan, incorporates large boulders – a natural material symbolizing eternity – as the central design element. These boulders integrate with the park’s functional and experiential activities. Boulders placed over a sandpit are transformed into climbing and resting play structures; stones in the shallow creek can become part of the water play installation. Additionally, a massive rock cave adventure space is constructed using advanced 3D-printed concrete technology.
photo © Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
Designed by XISUI Design, it integrates children’s play areas with water features and natural landscapes, offering a space for intergenerational interaction and community engagement.
photo © Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
Design background
Boulder Park occupies the central area of Yunwan Garden in Ji’nan. This 13,000m2 space functions as a comprehensive community park combining a children’s playground, shallow stream water activities, family interaction, and leisure. According to the style characteristics and functionality, the park is divided into multiple areas:
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
All-Age Boulder Playground
Water Garden
Forest Garden
Stone Garden
Flower Garden
XISUI Design was responsible for the design of the children’s activity areas, including the All-Age Boulder Playground, Water Garden, and Forest Garden.
photo © Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
All-Age Boulder Playground and Forest Garden
In terms of interactive experiences, the All-Age Boulder Playground and Forest Garden feature a variety of children’s activity facilities such as swings, slides, seesaws, trampolines, rocking horses, merry-go-rounds, climbing tunnels, speaking tubes, climbing ropes, and more. These facilities are integrated into the natural landscape, formed by large stones and concrete caves. The design provides children with fun, while also helping them develop limb strength. Beyond physical growth, these activities promote the development of the brain’s ability to recognize nature, balance, and other essential skills.
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
Water Garden
Located to the west of the All-Age Boulder Playground, the Water Garden features an outdoor water play area with babbling shallow streams, blending naturally into the surrounding landscape. The design team at XISUI Design focused on creating interactive water play experiences suitable for all ages. Children can engage with fountains, feel the flow of water, and explore jumping springs, winding creeks, and a water turntable – each designed to engage children and stimulate curiosity. Water pumps and pressure devices add to the experience, providing opportunities for exploration and learning. This interactive environment fosters a connection between children and nature, allowing them to engage with water and feel its gentle power firsthand.
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
Main installations
The standout feature of the park’s installations is its use of advanced construction technology – 3D concrete printing. This additive manufacturing method produces monolithic structures with complex, free-form curved shapes based on digital models. Such shapes are challenging to achieve through traditional formwork.
photo © Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
3D concrete printing uses a computer-controlled robotic arm that precisely extrudes liquid or semi-solid concrete, which then solidifies, building the structure layer by layer. The essence combines digital design and material science, offering unprecedented freedom and complexity in spatial design and construction. The resulting layered rock textures create distinctive surface textures that visually resemble the natural rock formations of boulders and caves. Moreover, its advantage of forming organic shapes at once improves both the spatial accuracy and user experience.
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
3D concrete printing monolithic molding
Digitally-controlled 3D printing enables monolithic molding of complex organic shapes. This not only significantly improves shape accuracy, effectively avoiding inevitable errors in conventional craftsmanship, but also reduces reliance on manual skills, showcasing the close fusion of technology and art.
photo © Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
Layered canyon
The unique layered rock texture of the 3D printing technique complements the surrounding natural stone landscape, meeting current functional needs while maintaining an atmosphere of exploration and adventure. Children playing among the “boulders” seem to be traversing real canyons. Meanwhile, the subtle curves of the surface naturally create steps, handrails, slides, and seating elements, harmonizing function with the form of the installation.
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
Safety and fun
Safety and enjoyment are paramount in children’s play areas. All 3D-printed landscape installations are designed with smooth edges and rounded corners to ensure that there are no sharp or hazardous points that could cause injuries. The cave-like scenes, with slides, tunnels, and speaking tubes, combine the garden environment with children’s play activities in terms of form and function.
“Landscape structures and installations are often small in scale, with low load requirements and simple, clear functional needs. In the application of 3D-printed concrete technology, compared to architecture, landscape projects may have even more diverse usage scenarios,” explains Hu Yihao, Lead Designer. “Although the current 3D concrete materials still face a series of challenges, such as uneven stress distribution and relatively simple reinforcement methods, the 3D printing materials used in Boulder Park have an average strength of 50MPA, surpassing the traditional C40 concrete strength standard.”
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
“This technical specification is more than sufficient to meet the structural needs of most landscape installations and structures,” adds Mr. Yihao. “In landscape projects, outdoor durability, the ability to achieve organic shapes, ease of construction and installation, and cost savings in labor are the primary considerations. 3D printing technology, with its significant advantages in these aspects, has become an ideal choice for this purpose.”
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
Conclusion
The park shows how new technology – 3D concrete printing – can enhance public spaces, while respecting local culture and the environment. By integrating 3D-printed concrete elements with natural features, it offers a space for play, exploration, and connection with nature. This project exemplifies how 3D-printed concrete elements harmonize with their surroundings, providing both functional and aesthetic value to the community.
Boulder Park in Shandong Province, China – Building Information
Architecture: XISUI Design – http://xisuidesign.com/
Official Project Name: Boulder Park: A 3D Concrete-Printed Playground
Location: Vanke Snow Mountain City, Jiangshan North Street, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province, China
Client: Vanke Jinan
photo © Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
Designers：Hu Yihao, Peng Yang, Li Chengxi, Zheng Mengzi, Chen Wenqi, Ruan Chengxin, Liu Yihe, Chu Tiancheng
Project Manager：Peng Yang
Design Team: XISUI Design
3D Printing Construction: Guanli Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.
Structural Consultant: LuAnLu Partner Structure Consulting
Project Site Area：4,000 sqm （children’s area only）
Budget: CNY 2.5 million
Project Completion Date: June 26, 2024
Photographer: Hu Yihao, XISUI Design and Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
About XISUI Design
XISUI Design is a multidisciplinary team of landscape architects, architects, installation artists, structural engineers, and parametric designers. Many members have studied abroad, and the team excels in conceptual design with innovative approaches, committed to providing comprehensive design solutions for clients. The firm offers conceptual design, strategic planning, and detailed construction guidance. XISUI Design’s built works encompass landscape design, children’s playgrounds, landscape installations and structures, and commercial space design.
Adhering to concepts of ‘Advance, Happiness, and Originality’, the team focuses on advanced digital design, construction technologies, new processes, and materials, actively exploring and applying these innovations in landscape, space, and installation design, with several patents held. XISUI Design is dedicated to creating designs with a wide range of expressions that reflect the forefront of the era, while continually exploring intrinsic essence. This allows users of all ages, families, and cultural backgrounds to experience the sincere emotions, local culture, and genuine care for life conveyed through the designs.
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
XISUI Design has won four Architizer A+ Awards, an InAward 2024, and prizes from WAN Awards, AHLA, LIA, YUANYE, and more. Its project “Boulder Park: A 3D Concrete-Printed Playground” has been honored with both the Popular Choice and Jury Winner awards in the “Architecture + Joy” category at the 2025 Architizer A+ Awards.
photo © Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual
Photography by Zhou Sheng, CHENIN Visual and Hu Yihao, XISUI Design
Boulder Park, Shandong Province, China images / information received 210725
Location: Shandong Province, China
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