The International Monetary Fund’s Children’s Center had been taking thechildren several blocks for outdoor play, a risky practice for two-year-olds; a place for the children to play on-site was needed. Since the IMF is on a very tight, urban site. the first task was to find an area where it might be built. One was identified that had been used for plantings and a mechanical areaway. Although the available area was quite limited, a playground was structured to allow for separate play areas fortoddlers and older children. A playful polka-dot pattern structures the groundplane, creating opportunities for both imaginative play and games. LAB also designed shade structures that arch over the playground.The parents at the IMF are very concerned for their children’s safety; theysee the IMF as a target. As a result, a secure perimeter was needed thatwould at the same time satisfy the desires of neighborhood residents for a barrier that was not a “fence.” LAB’s solution was a variegated, perforated-metal screen that both the District government and the neighbors consider to be a public art installation.
View Original