RIYADH - JOYOUS TREES

Type

Proposal

Location

Riyadh

Material

MetalWood

Description

Joyous Gardens reimagines the tree as both symbol and playground through three playful and social structures.

Joyous Trees proposal cover image – public art and playground installation in Riyadh, design by Sebastien Wierinck Workshop.

Joyous Trees proposal cover page – public art and playground installation in Riyadh, design by Sebastien Wierinck Workshop.

About

Concept description page for Joyous Gardens project – trees as universal symbols and playground structures, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop design.

Developed in collaboration with The July 16 and Chekharda, Joyous Gardens investigates the tree as both a universal symbol and a playground.

The project draws on the symbolic richness of trees across cultures: roots as foundation and memory, the trunk as a collective pillar, branches as expansion and connection, and fruit as a metaphor for transmission.

Articulated through three variations — the bending tree, the sleeping tree, and the standing tree — the project combines playful structures with social spaces. These forms invite climbing, exploration, rest, and gathering, while fostering a deeper connection with nature.

More than furniture, Joyous Gardens offers an experience where play, symbolism, and ecology merge into a pedagogical and poetic landscape.

Architectural rendering of Joyous Trees installation – bending, sleeping and standing tree structures for Riyadh, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop.

Visualization of bending tree structure – playful tubular design in metal and wood for Riyadh public space, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop.

Visualization of bending tree structure – detail of leaf from a playful tubular design in metal and wood for Riyadh public space, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop.

Visualization of sleeping tree structure – sculptural playground element blending ecology and social space, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop design.

Visualization of standing tree structure – vertical tubular installation symbolizing growth and connection, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop Riyadh project.

Site integration rendering – Joyous Trees structures arranged in public space for community gathering, Sebastien Wierinck Workshop

Architectural drawings of Joyous Trees variations – Standing Tree, Bending Tree, Sleeping Tree – modular playground and public art proposal in Riyadh by Sebastien Wierinck Workshop x Chakharda Bureau

Diagram of play routes in Joyous Trees playground – freedom area, nests and hammocks, sand play zone, brunch forest, straight to the leaves – interactive design by Sebastien Wierinck Workshop x Chakharda Bureau

Diagram of lighting scheme for Joyous Trees playground – LED strip lights on tent hangers, LED strip lights on branches, LED spotlights along the path – design by Sebastien Wierinck Workshop x Chakharda Bureau