The Karel Komárek Family Foundation at DesignBlok Festival

Hexo: A Play Element that Children Can Transform by Themselves

The Foundation initiated the creation of Hexo, a play element designed as a variable solution for kindergarten gardens. Children do not only become users of a finished playground, they become direct co‑creators of its current form.

Flexible positioning of ropes and poles makes it possible to transform the element and create new play configurations. Each arrangement opens new possibilities for movement, discovery, and shared play. The six‑sided Hexo supports children’s creativity, imagination, independent decision‑making, and cooperation.

How Was Hexo Created?

The play element was created through cooperation between the Karel Komárek Family Foundation and students of design and architecture from Tomas Bata University in Zlín and Brno University of Technology. Professional support for the project was provided by SKULL studio and other invited experts.

The final design emerged from several student concepts. It was possible to combine an aesthetic and functional solution with safety and certification requirements for play elements designed for kindergarten gardens, thanks to professional supervision and a carefully structured development process.

At DesignBlok, Hexo is on display in two forms. The manufactured play element itself is part of the outdoor space in front of the renovated wing of the Industrial Palace at Prague Exhibition Grounds. Additionally there is an indoor installation on the 5th floor of the Trade Fair Palace, in the section dedicated to student projects. This installation presents two Hexo prototypes and the full story of its creation and development.

Steps to the Forest at DesignBlok Talks

The Steps to the Forest route and its gradual transformation were presented as part of the Designblok Talks professional programme on 7 October.

The route, which leads from Hodonín railway station to the House of Nature, was created in cooperation with the Karel Komárek Family Foundation, Gehl Architects, U/U Studio, and the City of Hodonín. The aim was to gradually make the space easier to navigate, strengthen the sense of safety, and create new opportunities for everyday use of the route and its surroundings.