Architectural Concepts: PLAY
Incorporating elements of play into architecture can make spaces more engaging, interactive, and memorable.
By integrating playfulness into architecture, spaces can become more inviting, imaginative, and emotionally resonant, enhancing the way people experience and interact with the built environment.
I. Spatial Exploration & Discovery
Creating unexpected pathways, hidden nooks, or multi-level spaces encourages curiosity and engagement. Features like secret doors, climbing walls, or meandering circulation paths make movement through a building feel like an adventure.
How we implement this in our architecture
At the T.a. retail store, inserting curvilinear spaces inside a small rectangular box creates unexpected pathways, while the mixing of display items leads to many opportunities for discovery.
A large atrium space in the proposed elementary school In Herrenreid, Austria with curved stairs that serve as auditorium seating and a place to hang coats.
II. Kinetic & Interactive Elements
Incorporating moving parts, such as sliding panels, rotating walls, or responsive lighting, allows users to physically engage with the space. These elements invite playfulness by making architecture dynamic and adaptable.
How we implement this in our architecture
In our design for a public Sukkah, one actively removes pieces of the walls, rendering it not only porous but barely visible.
A bookcase concealing a powder room at the Unified Apartment in Manhattan.
III. Sensory Engagement
Using vibrant colors, varied textures, and playful materials can stimulate the senses and create a joyful experience. Water features, echo chambers, or interactive art walls invite users to engage with their surroundings in unexpected ways.
How we implement this in our architecture
Bright colors and interactive spaces for kids, where they design for themselves can harness learning in our proposal for the underground nursery school.
Reflective panels mixed with living plants that change with the seasons, a lit hot tub and shower, all elements that play with tactile experience.
