Camp Carré

For them, picnicking means finding a quiet, cosy spot surrounded by nature, spreading out the picnic blanket and enjoying tasty food together. Their initial idea was essentially to designate the city’s best picnic spots with flags. However, out of this grew their ultimate creation based on the cliché of picnickers spreading out their chequered blankets to commandeer their chosen spot (hence the name Camp Carré or Camp Chequers in English).

They also came up with the name and created the branding for the project. The concept was embraced but the city was keen to provide tables and benches for the park’s more elderly visitors. The design incorporated a sitting level and a table level while including a nod to the initial idea by way of a surrounding area in the form of an unfolded chequered picnic blanket. The ‘blanket’ idea was also extended with various patterns - all chequered - being created at various levels in three areas of the park, each with a built-in BBQ.

Large groups and families can sit down and eat together at these picnic spots, bringing different generations together. The table can accommodate up to 20 people plus a wheelchair user, while round about children and young people can stake their claim to a spot in the seating area; the most energetic can commandeer a square of the chessboard pattern on which to spread out a mini-blanket.