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play: The Latest Architecture and News

MVRDV’s Explores Low-Carbon and Child-Friendly Solutions at the Shenzhen Women & Children’s Centre

ReviveR,” a new exhibition by MVRDV opened at the Shenzhen Women & Children’s Centre, focused on the different narratives surrounding its hosting building, from the role of play and social interaction, to the importance of fun environments for people of all ages, along with the need to reduce carbon emissions by applying principles of circularity. The exhibition is on display in the building’s 5th-floor auditorium from December 6, 2023, until February 28, 2024.

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Olson Kundig Reinterprets Noah's Ark for Children's Experience at the Jewish Museum in Berlin

Completed in 2020, amidst the pandemic, ANOHA- The Children’s World designed by Olson Kundig for the Jewish Museum in Berlin is finally opening its doors to the young public. The design reinterprets the myth of Noah’s Ark and furthers the concept and ideas of a similar installation at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, created by the firm then named Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen. More than a museum experience, the project is a space for community building, a place for imagination and play that enacts a universal story, creating an inclusive environment for children and families of all cultures and backgrounds.

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PlayHouse Competition - Call for Entries

Hacking the home to make play part of everyday


(a) Competition Overview

Play is an essential part of all our lives, whether child or adult. Be it playing sports, a board game or simply sharing jokes with friends, play is just as important to adults as building a den or playing dress-up is to a child.
The Coronavirus outbreak has left many of us having to spend extended periods of time at home in lockdown, restricting the opportunity to socialise and play in ways that we are used to.

How can we use creativity to encourage play at these unique

UNITE: The Problem With Play

Kick start your playful summer with a panel discussion about the impact of design on childhood development! Inspired by BSA Space’s new exhibition, Extraordinary Playscapes, an array of unique panelists will consider ways to prevent barriers of play in urban areas. The conversation will delve into how play is related to design, psychology, parenting, architecture, and development while highlighting the role of designers in a more playful future. After the talk, participants will enjoy light refreshments and exclusive access to the exhibition.

Kids Design Workshop: Nature Play

This workshop invites both children and parents to participate in building unique playscapes with natural materials on The Greenway. Led by local artist and craftsman, Mitch Ryerson, each session will focus on the importance of nature play, group building, teamwork, imagination, and learning to build with new materials. This event is part of a series of family and children’s workshops hosted by Design Museum Boston and the BSA Foundation, focusing on design and play throughout the summer.

Design Museum Mornings: Playable Cities with Maggie Cooper

To celebrate the upcoming Extraordinary Playscapes exhibition in June, BSA Space is teaming up with co-curator Design Museum Boston for an event exploring how to make the urban environment more accessible to play. As part of the ongoing series Design Museum Mornings, this session will feature Maggie Cooper, City Initiatives manager at KaBOOM!, a nonprofit focused on bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all children. Join Cooper for a candid conversation as she shares how to bring communities together through initiatives like group playground builds and playability walks, especially for children growing up in poverty. Free

Open Call: Play Park Design Competition, Ballyfermot, Ireland

Irish Architecture Foundation in collaboration with The Matheson Foundation and Dublin City Council are launching a competition to design a play and skate park for ‘The Lawns’ in Le Fanu Park, Dublin 10. The competition is now open. The 'Play Park: Ballyfermot' project is a unique opportunity for an innovative inter-disciplinary design collective, with a passion for working in community contexts to develop a world class play and skate space for young people in Dublin.

Meet the Artist Behind Those Amazing, Hand-Knitted Playgrounds

Meet the Artist Behind Those Amazing, Hand-Knitted Playgrounds  - Featured Image
Wonder Space II, by Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam and Interplay, at Hakone Open Air Museum. Photo © Masaki Koizum.

Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam is known for her massive, colorful architectural sculptures/playgrounds. The most famous example of her work is the expansive net-structure inside the "Woods of Net" Pavilion at the Hakone Open Air Museum in Japan - which Horiuchi MacAdam knitted, entirely by hand, over the span of a year.

We took a moment to speak with Ms. Horiuchi MacAdam about the Pavilion and her other works, how they bridge the worlds of art and architecture, and how they irresistibly invite the world to play. You can read our interview, and see more images of her fascinating work, after the break...

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