Let Our Sidewalks Be Trampolines

Design studio Salto has built a 50 meters long trampoline sidewalk entitled Fast Track in a forest near the Russian town of Nikola-Lenivets. Created for the Archstoyanie Festival, the innovative trampoline provides an extraordinary pathway through the park on which people can bounce while they enjoy the nature.

“Fast Track is an integral part of the park infrastructure, it is a road and an installation at the same time”, the designers explain. “It challenges the concept of infrastructure that only focuses on technical and functional aspects and tends to be ignorant to its surroundings.” Salto (a right name for an office that comes up with trampolines in forests) is a Tallinn-based architecture practice established in 2004. Their work mostly deals with landscape and its combination with architecture. With this playful intervention the designers aim to create intelligent infrastructure that is emotional and corresponds with the local context.

Personally I like the experience that’s part of the installation. Imagine yourself walking in the park and noticing all the other park visitors bouncing around. This sidewalk will be a huge attraction that also appeals to kids. One could even ask the question why not more public spaces in our cities are made like this. It would speed things up immensely. Last year we wrote an trend article on playful urbanism. The trampoline project, that reminds of AZC’s proposal for an inflatable trampoline bridge that connects two sides of the Seine river in Paris, definitely relates to this trend.