Press releases

• 450 square meters in size, 240 tons of sand: the municipal company has once again built the largest sandpit in the city.
• For the World Equestrian Games, the city's marketing department is setting up an oversized chess set.
• As part of the Archimedes Workshop, the registered children will build a wooden horse measuring three to four meters.
   

The Katschhof is once again being transformed into a science-themed beach area: On Monday, July 6, a team from Aachen’s municipal services expertly set up the popular sandbox in just a few hours. The project, part of Future Lab Aachen, is now in its eleventh year. Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons watched the setup of the Archimedes Sandbox from his desk in the early morning hours: “It really makes you want to be there. A wonderful place is being created here for all citizens to spend the summer together. And the chess tournament is a great way to celebrate the World Equestrian Games.”

The city’s supporting program kicks off this coming Friday, July 10, with the setup of the 18x18-meter chessboard on Katschhof. The pieces, in green and purple and ranging in height from 80 to 140 centimeters, were designed as horse characters to coincide with the World Equestrian Games and will bring a touch of equestrian flair to the city even before the competitions begin, through Sunday, August 2. The chess pieces were produced using eight 3D printers at the Chair of Computer Graphics, Geometry, and Multimedia led by Prof. Dr. Leif Kobbelt at RWTH Aachen University. He explained: “The challenges lay, on the one hand, in the size of the pieces, and on the other hand, in the printing time, which ranged from four to eleven days per piece.”

The chess tournament will kick off on Friday, July 10, at 4 p.m. with an exhibition match by the Aachen Chess Association. Anyone interested is invited to attend and can have the rules explained to them.

A clean and safe sandpit

The municipal company not only takes care of the construction and dismantling of the sandpit, but also keeps it tidy every day: early in the morning, the sand is raked through and the surrounding area is cleared of sand residue. City operations manager Indra Balsam is proud after the successful and quick construction of the large sandpit: "The enthusiasm and joy of my team is simply infectious." At night, a security service ensures a quiet and safe environment.

After the beach volleyball event on Wednesday, July 8, the city maintenance team will reconfigure the sandpit: the nets will be removed and the sunshade set up. The sandpit will then be ready for all visitors again starting Friday, July 10. That’s when it’s time to build sandcastles, relax on the lounge chairs, or watch the kids play—and this year, you can do all that through Sunday, August 2.

The Archimedean Workshop

No sandbox is complete without an Archimedes Workshop: As part of the summer games, schoolchildren are creating a three- to four-meter-tall horse under the theme “Oops! There’s a horse on the Katschhof.” “The children will later be able to go inside the structure and crawl underneath it,” explains Birgit Frank, director of the Bleiberger Fabrik, who leads the Archimedes Workshop. “A landscape of paths and obstacle elements will then develop around the horse.” These will also be put to use on Friday, July 31, when a Hobby Horsing event takes place from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. to mark the conclusion of the Archimedes Workshop.

Usually, the summer camps for the Archimedes Workshop fill up quickly, but there are still some interesting options available through the city’s program, as Renate Prömpeler from the city’s Youth Services Department points out. “Additional registrations can still be made on the website www.unser-ferienprogramm.de. There are still spots available for Forest Week, as well as for a new program, Ultimate Frisbee.”

Tried and tested and new highlights

There’s also some exercise to be had at the sandbox from time to time: As in previous years, “Good Morning Yoga”—organized by the City of Aachen’s Healthy Administration department—awaits anyone interested every Monday between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. The session is free and requires no prior registration—put on your workout clothes, take off your shoes, and head out to the sand!

Stawag is once again supporting the Archimedes Sandbox with sand toys for the children and a shade sail. In addition, starting this year, Sparkasse Aachen is sponsoring the activities related to the Archimedes Sandbox.

Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons emphasized: “The great thing about the Archimedes Sandbox is the collective effort of all those involved. This is where the city’s community comes together.”

The key data:

• July 10 through August 2: Archimedes' Sandbox, Katschhof, Aachen
• July 10 through August 2: Chess Tournament
• July 20–31, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.: Archimedes Workshop, “Oops! There’s a horse on the Katschhof!” Note: The summer camp is fully booked; same-day registration is available for 8 euros per child, subject to availability.
• Every Monday from 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., “Good Morning Yoga” hosted by the Healthy Administration
• July 31, 3:00–5:00 p.m. Hobby Horsing

For more information: www.aachenwmspecial.de