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LASN Playground April 2010: Gothic Garden Outdoor Learning Environment St. Chrysostom‚Äö?Ñ????ë?¬•s Day School, Chicago03-30-10 | News

Gothic Garden Outdoor Learning Environment
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By ArchitectureIsFun





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Photography ???????(R)???????(C)Doug Snower
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Photography ???????(R)???????(C)Doug Snower

Designed by Peter Exley, FAIA and Sharon Exley, MAAE of ArchitectureIsFun of Chicago, this modestly scaled, 500 square foot space becomes a beehive of activity, fostering each child?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Numbered circles allow children to find their own spot to read or to watch performances. Artwork, mobiles, bells, and seasonal decor hang from the vaults, creating canopies of color, shapes and sounds. A throne and chandelier and other unexpected elements set the stage for celebrations and storytelling.
Photography ???????(R)???????(C)Doug Snower

Back-Alley Space Transformed

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Wind chimes, speaker tubes, see-through easels, a crawl-through tunnel, gears, and gizmos encourage scientific interest, physical challenge and artistic stimulation.
Photography ???????(R)???????(C)Doug Snower



This petite play space is carefully articulated by its decorative, soaring arches. Evoking the uplifting spirituality of its gothic predecessors, their verticality reinforces an awareness of the expansive outdoors while creating niches of exploration and performance. Artwork, mobiles, bells, and seasonal decor hang from the vaults, creating canopies of color, shapes and sounds. Concrete is painted in a ?EUR??,,????'?????<

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