There is an Alice in Wonderland sculpture in New York City’s Central Park, and Alice’s arms, the tops of the toadstools and the tips of the rabbit’s ears shine as if just made. Why? First, it’s loved and climbed on by children every day. Is it made to climb on? No. Does it meet the stringent safety standards? No. But, many children still do scale the structure; my children have as well. Alice in Wonderland is not an anomaly; there are many sculptures that attract this type of attention and activity. There is also a history of artists and designers who made special things for children to play on.
PlayForm 7 is an example of a play sculpture, an interactive art piece designed to be played on from its inception. Play sculptures are safe and challenging. They are aesthetically pleasing with a balanced design and are made to interact with people of all ages. Play sculptures provide a strong visual impact and identity and have a clean, modern look and feel, commonly associated with commissioned public art pieces on display throughout the world, enhancing the public spaces around them.
PlayForm 7 is inspired by rolling landscapes with peaks and valleys that invite everyone to explore it. This play sculpture blurs the line between play and art, to create a play piece with appeal across generations, while maintaining an aesthetically enticing design. It was created with a simple goal in mind: play for all, any age, any ability. PlayForm 7 appeals to people’s sense of wonder and prompts the question, “What is that?” Children and adults can sit, stand, climb, hide, balance, crawl under or lay within its collection of deconstructed spaces. Inspired by the work of sculptor Alexander Calder, it’s a signature piece for a park and makes a statement in the community.
Play sculptures lack the features of traditional playground equipment. There are no posts and platforms, no play events with predetermined functions and no roofs or walls. Playform 7 is designed with an intentional hierarchy of material and form — strong, straight steel pipes, swaying slacklines of rubber FlexTreads, bamboo or translucent-colored panels and a touch of rope that offers an extra handhold when needed. Each material is selected and deliberately detailed for easy assemble and maintenance.
Play sculptures combine play functions and aesthetic forms to transform any space — the ultimate play experience with the appeal of art. This truly unique play sculpture provides multiple play experiences that encourage cognitive and creative development, social and emotional interaction, and physical challenges with multisensory, tactile experiences.
PlayForm 7 is open and inviting, a democratic sculpture for the 21st Century. An entire community can gather, play, discover and enjoy being together. Because that is what’s most important about a play space. It’s the last frontier where children can be together, face-to-face, connected in the present moment.