About the project
The clients are a collective of young parents who have lived in Dubai since the 1980s, and who are proud to call Dubai their home. They are passionate about play spaces that engage, educate, and empower children, that spark creativity, trigger imagination and growth at the same time, and they firmly believe that arcade games, ball pools, and jumping castles simply can’t achieve the desired results. The mission is to create a destination for children that commences as a medium in order to be happier, more creative, more imaginative, better informed, more inspired, more aware, more balanced, and more amazed. The space is a world-class for-profit play facility that optimizes these various objectives.
OliOli (which means ‘Joy’ in Hawaiian) is a concept inspired from the conflation of four things. The first one is children’s museums, the second innovative playgrounds, children’s art museums & studios and last, maker spaces/creative labs. We created a purpose-built learning sanctuary for children providing an opportunity for creative, open-ended, unstructured and limitless play. Children are expected to spend 2 to 3 hours at the venue.
OliOli, designed by Sneha Divias Atelier, will hold 8 different galleries, in addition to the common areas such as the reception, bathrooms, corridors, cafe, birthday party rooms, quiet room for kids, etc. With 8 separate galleries spread over 2 efficiently designed floors, OliOli offers plenty of natural light and space and an environment that allows for natural exploration rather than over-stimulation. There are details around every corner from birds to butterflies, pops of paint colour to quirky sculptures, and each visit to OliOli will allow you and the kids to discover something new. In total, the galleries include over 40 interactive, whimsical and wonderful activities unlocking creativity at every turn and sparking a genuine love of learning while really friendly staff encourage the children to go for it and explore – there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way here.
WATER GALLERY: One of our most popular areas with over 10 interactive hands-on activities, the Water Gallery is all about splashing about and experiencing how water behaves. Dance in the rain, play with a water vortex, fire a ball cannon, or wash a real car – from simple day-to-day play to scientific experimentation, there are gallons of fun for all ages.
AIR GALLERY: Whether your kids have a passion for aerodynamics or just love making paper planes, launching rockets, experimenting with shapes on airstreams, and shooting stuff with wind cannons, the Air Gallery is for you. Witness the beauty of airflows on the Air Curtain, the joy of Amazing Airways, the mystery of floating shapes on Bernoulli’s Blower, and the forces of nature in our 110kph Hurricane Booth.
TOSHI’s NETS: Part trampoline, part playground, part Alice-in-Wonderland-style adventure, it’s a giant string-woven creation filled with colorful holes and magical shapes. It took almost a year to make, weighs a whopping 800 kg and can hold 29 baby elephants! With less than ten in the world, make sure you experience the one and only in the Middle East. It encourages children’s natural sense of curiosity, as they climb and explore, developing both gross and fine motor skills. The nature of the space also nurtures creativity and imagination, while enabling them to safely take risks and enhance social skills through helping each other and taking turns.
CREATIVE LAB: Create, build, take apart, and tinker together. Here children learn how to use real tools, explore new ideas, and engage in workshops and activities that support expression and experimentation.
FUTURE PARK: Watch the look of wonder on your child’s face as their artworks come to life. Enjoy that proud smile as they create their own music with the Light Ball Orchestra! Play on a table where little people live or sit in a vast aquarium filled with weird-and-wonderful creatures drawn by kids.
FORTS & DENS: It’s the ultimate playroom! Everyday materials such as chairs, sheets, and ropes become the perfect building blocks for active imaginations to create magical dens, forts, and palaces. Children who can build their own small worlds, grow with confidence to shape the big world tomorrow.
CARS & RAMPS: On your marks! Get set! Go! The Cars and Ramps Gallery is a space where kids can design and engineer their own cars to race or jump over our towering ramps. Challenge friends and family to build, test, modify and race their cars on our tracks again and again.
TODDLERS: The Toddler Gallery gives children the time to play and discover new worlds – and parents the time to engage and bond. From active play to sensory play, simple puzzles to popping bubbles, everything about this space is designed to provide wonder and development.
The cafe is specially designed to function as a space for gathering and education at the same time with the concept of a sculptural tree house as a highlight. We envision OliOli as an eco-friendly community hub for relevant issues such as practicing mindfulness and emphasize the importance of matters like creativity, environmental sustainability, agriculture, and so on.
Products Featured
Project info
Client:
Industry:
Size:
Country:
City:
Website:
Completed On:
Community
Interior Designers:
Fit-Out Contractors: