What kind of playground befits the New York Hall of Science? Why, one set in the future, of course! In October 1996, a model playground dreamed about for years was transformed into a 30,000 square-foot reality in Flushing Meadows, New York. As a collaboration between diDomenico + Partners Landscape Architects, BSK/K Architects, and Chermayeff Geismar Graphic Designers" this futuristic playground has brought imagination and creativity to New York's Hall of Science Museum. The creators' combined talents and imaginations created a playground design unlike any other in the nation. With the site of the 1964 New York World's Fair as a backdrop, this Science Playground skillfully combines dynamic and colorful, multi- leveled elements. The most dominant feature of this futuristic playground is a two hundred and fifty-foot long armature reminiscent of an erector set. Andrew Berger, AIA, ASLA, of di Domenico + Partners describes the inspiration behind this popular building set ("a precursor to engineering") as the "ultimate backdrop for this place of exploration." Intertwining pathways, twelve-foot deck heights and an enormous, brightly colored climbing apparatus delight science-loving visitors of all ages, making for dramatic, if not adventurous views of the park. Three, very deep steps lead children into a 12,000 square foot Space Age Fantasyland. The steel structure- pigmented in milk white?EUR??,,????'??+ is accented with dandelion yellow cables which spiral around the prominent navy blue beams. Cherry Red Weather Vane Windmills are positioned sporadically around the project. A twelve-foot high climbing net which resembles a spiderweb, encompasses a corner of this project. Brightly colored orange walls frame the surfacing at the edge of the playground. Finding a surface which met the ASTM 1292-355 specifications for the twelve-foot drop posed a real safety challenge for the architects. They met with the manufacturer many times to confirm that this surface had a twelve-foot drop test and work out the intricate design of interchangeable thicknesses and colors. "We were really concerned regarding the obstacles on the project,"states Liam Martin of Stonewall Contracting, the general contractors on the project. "The results were very impressive; there were [original] questions about the grade of the surface, but with a poured-in-place surface, there were no problems whatsoever." As a result, the playground at the Hall of Science Museum now provides children with a gateway to the playgrounds of the twenty-first century. Now parents' and the children's imaginations will soar into the next century- without limits or fear. LASN INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS INCLUDING SLIDES, ZIP LINES AND POLES EXPLORE THE DYNAMICS OF DAMMING AND LIFTING WATER STEAM AND ICE AT THE NEW YORK HALL OF SCIENCE PLAYGROUND. OTHER COMPONENTS FEATURE LANDSCAPED AREAS WITH AMPHITHEATERS, SANDBOXES AND EATING AREAS, ALLOWING FAMILIES TO LINGER WHILE LEARNING. Illustrations provided courtesy of di Domenico + Partners.