Located 37km from Beijing's Forbidden City, this site was once the departure point of bus route 345—the only route from Changping’s historic neighborhoods to downtown Beijing. The design reinterprets China’s first domestically manufactured bus, BK640 (1957), integrating new functions to create an engaging play installation for all ages.
As a public children’s space, the project revives the site's history as a bus terminal through design. A pathway divides the installation into two areas, simulating the bus’s front and rear while maintaining visual connectivity: the front offers strength training, speed and gravity experiences, balance exercises and interactive activity facilities for younger children; the rear encourages parent-child participation with swings, trampolines, and climbing structures. The red-and-white color scheme, derived from the vintage bus, adds vibrancy to the streetscape.
Across the street, daily bus commuters resonate with the historical imagery of the Old Beijing Bus, reflecting on the past and urban evolution. The space evokes nostalgia and belonging for elders, and inspires youth to contemplate societal shifts and contribute to the future.
