Life in Denmark: The Crooked House Playground at Brumleby in Copenhagen

Brumleby is a historical residential area in Copenhagen, which has a very characteristic look of yellow and white lime paint. The buildings, however, were originally constructed due to an extensive outbreak of cholera costing the lives of 5,000 people in Copenhagen in 1853. With waiting-lists for housing taking more than 20 years, Brumleby is today a highly popular, trendy and remains in the peaceful residential enclave of Østerbro district in Copenhagen. To add a different take on the houses and literally twist the traditional look of the buildings, the shape of the houses was stretched and squeezed as if they were bursting with energy. 

At one end of the development is a playground designed to reflect the area’s unconventional character. Described as the "Crooked House" playground, it is full of quirky fixtures that seem to turn the world upside down. The idea of the playground is to create a small piece of these old buildings to remind us of its fantastic history. 

I found the Crooked House playground in the Brumleby neighborhood in Copenhagen looks exactly as the Crooked House playground at Block 330 Yishun Ring Road in Singapore. I did a photo documentary on "Cube House Themed Playgrounds" in August 2021, click here to view. These crooked house playgrounds are actually built by a Danish design firm MONSTRUM, MONSTRUM has built more than 230 playgrounds, mostly in Denmark and Sweden, but also in other parts of the world.

The Crooked House playground in Copenhagen as well as in Singapore consists of 3 wobbly houses, a baker’s shop, and an ice-cream booth. The surface around the houses is cast rubber.

The Brumleby neighbourhood still exudes peace and quiet and has the ambience of idyllic countryside. In front of some of the houses are small, green, private gardens.

When I was photographing the Crooked House playground in Singapore last year, never did I expect to travel to Copenhagen the following year to do the same. I am just so thankful that I did it. 

It would be difficult to mistake a MONSTRUM playground for anyone else’s. They are all elaborate, enormous and highly imaginative. Their designs often feature giant creatures, both natural and fantastical, that children can climb, swing from, slide down and incorporate into their play. For example, I managed to spot a plane playground by MONSTRUM located right outside the Copenhagen airport. 

Whether the Crooked House playgrounds are in Denmark or Singapore, MONSTRUM playgrounds are designed to fit the local surroundings they are going to be part of. Since 2003, the Danish company has created magic all round the world with playgrounds nobody had ever seen the like of before. They make you want to be a child again !