A new public playground in the Swiss municipality of Féchy has opened with 750 square metres of poured-in-place cork surfacing supplied by Corkeen, the cork-based playground brand developed with Amorim’s expertise. Commissioned by the Municipality of Féchy and designed by architecture office Actescollectifs, Le Bois Enchanté playground was completed in Summer 2025 and officially inaugurated on 5 June 2026. The scheme was built around a single brief: a landscaped play space where children could explore and connect with nature without compromising on safety or accessibility. Corkeen’s natural cork granules were chosen to meet that brief across the full site.
A Landscape Built Around Play
Le Bois Enchanté was conceived less as a conventional playground and more as a piece of public landscape, one where equipment, pathways and surfacing work together rather than sitting as separate elements. The project team set out to find a surfacing material that felt as natural as possible while still satisfying the impact-absorption and accessibility standards expected of a modern children’s play area. That search led to Corkeen’s poured-in-place cork system, applied across the site’s fall zones and circulation routes.
Safety Meets Sustainability
The 750 square metre installation was selected for its combined performance on safety, sustainability and appearance. Made from natural cork granules, the surfacing absorbs impact effectively in fall zones while remaining accessible to people with reduced mobility. Against conventional rubber-based alternatives, cork also runs cooler underfoot in direct sunlight, a detail that matters for a playground expected to see heavy use through Swiss summers.
Blending Into The Landscape
Beyond its technical properties, the surfacing was chosen for how it sits within the wider design. Corkeen’s natural finish, with the subtle variation of wood grain, allows it to read alongside the playground equipment and the woodchip pathways that wind through the site rather than standing apart from them. The effect is a play surface that reads as part of the landscape’s identity rather than an added safety feature layered on top of it.
Ricardo Dias, Corkeen Sales Director at Amorim Cork Solutions, said:
“Le Bois Enchanté is a great example of how playground surfacing can contribute not only to safety and accessibility, but also to the overall character of a space. By combining natural materials with high-performance safety requirements, projects like this demonstrate how playgrounds can become more welcoming, sustainable, and connected to their surroundings.”
A Model For Public Play Spaces
Le Bois Enchanté stands as a working example of what a cork-surfaced public playground can look like at scale, delivered through a partnership between a municipal client, a design practice and a specialist surfacing supplier. For Féchy, the result is a play space built on a renewable, recyclable material that meets safety codes without dominating the aesthetic of the site. Further detail on the installation is available in the full case study.
