Marc Fornes is tops in my category of artists-I-would-like-to-see-on-the-playground and he’s definitely moving that direction with his new ‘Vaulted Willow‘: a pavilion designed for hide-and-seeking. Note particularly the wonderful dappled shadows made by the metal scales of the construction; light and shadow is so often neglected as an element of play.
“Vaulted Willow” is a wonderful example of what I’ve begun to think of as “New Play”: beautifully designed objects that serve another purpose in the public space (like shelter, or wayfinding, or sculpture) but also happen to be playable. More playable, in fact, than many purpose built playgrounds. They’re inherently multi-generational because they aren’t designed to target any specific demographic anyway. “New Play” will make silly restrictions about safety surfacing extraneous, and that’s a good thing.
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