Forty years ago, in a forest of Northern Italy, Bruno opened a restaurant, or rather, osteria, in 1969. He set up shop after buying a few pounds of sausages and some wine wondering if people would actually come. Well, come they did because now the restaurant seats around 500 people. In addition to the restaurant, Bruno constructed an array of rides over the course of a few decades. With no formal engineering or construction training, he took up metalworking and put his new skills to the test. Initially, the first couple rides he constructed were meant to attract visitors to the restaurant. The first ride he created was a large metal slide and gradually, the rides got bigger and more frequent. The Osteria Ai Pioppi was no longer just a restaurant.
A Branch falls, a leaf floats down, a bird flies by, a stone rolls. And I said to myself, ‘Maybe I can use this movement.’ That’s how my ideas are born. – Bruno, Ai Pioppi
Bruno’s inspiration for the rides comes from movements and patterns found in nature, and he refers to the park as “an ecological park.” The nearly 50 rides that he constructed and painted himself are completely powered by hand with pulleys, bicycle cranks, and gravity — no motors. You have to work to play, which he says is “the important and beautiful thing about this park.” The hands-on play that this park encourages is perfect for kids of all ages — yes, adults, I’m talking to you, too — because we all should get back to nature every once in a while and figure out how things push and pull while having fun.
The post A Handmade Amusement Park Inspired by Nature appeared first on HOP.