Playworld, a leading commercial playground equipment manufacturer, today announced PlayCubes have been named one of Architectural Record’s Products of the Year. Dattner Architects’ Principal and Founder, Richard Dattner, debuted playcubes in the 1960s, which corresponded to his revolutionary Adventure Playground in Central Park – challenging conventional notions about child development and the outdoors. Today, an exclusive partnership between Dattner and Playworld is introducing the once popular playground equipment to new generations.
From the award announcment:
“I’ve proudly been designing play equipment for the majority of my career and it’s rewarding to see PlayCubes recognized by our peers outside of the parks and recreation industry,” said Craig Mellott, an industrial designer at Playworld who helped oversee the launch of PlayCubes. “The iconic sculptural playforms enhance outdoor spaces and provide a play environment that is unique and supportive to child development, while also being aesthetically pleasing. The entire Playworld team is honored to have PlayCubes named a Product of the Year by Architectural Record.”
PlayCubes offer rich physical, social and cognitive play value along with refreshingly fun ways to engage. The distinctive geometric shapes and undefined paths encourage exploration and climbing activity that’s accessible, yet challenging. The varying planes and handholds encourage climbing and spatial experimentation, with small recesses that invite entry and provide an immersive play experience.
“This much-loved form has been redesigned by popular demand to meet current safety standards,” said Dattner, whose Salt Shed project was featured on the cover of Architectural Record in March 2016. “Reimagined in tough rotational molding, these larger PlayCubes, with openings on all 14 faces, offer more visibility, enhanced play opportunities and almost limitless combinations.”
