ORCHID FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Jury Comments: Conceived as an outdoor extension to the museum, the New Children’s Museum Park is a welcome addition to downtown San Diego. Using the museum’s philosophy of think, play and create, the park encourages play and self-expression for children of all ages. Although set in a small and difficult space, the designers were able to create an exciting mix of open and enclosed spaces, play structures, herb gardens, and lawn areas. Unique seat walls and stencil cut panels engage users with inscribed poetry by nationally renowned author, Quincy Troupe. The industrial steel structures provide much needed shade and offer children blank canvases of concrete floors and walls for their creative expression. The park enriches the lives of our children, adds beauty and interest to our environment, and is right at home with the growing sophistication of our downtown.

Conceived as an outdoor studio for creativity, play and learning, the Children’s Museum Park is the first of its kind in urban San Diego. Adding precious parkland and extending the museum’s philosophy of think, play, create, the park encourages play and self expression for children of all ages. The park is an exciting amalgam of open spaces, shaded courts, unique climbing and play structures, planting fields, herb gardens, gravel paths and grass areas. It engages us with poetry inscriptions by nationally renowned author, Quincy Troupe, a permanent sculpture by public artist, Roberto Salas, temporary art installations by local artists, and encourages participation by children with blank canvases of concrete and a supply of chalk. The Children’s Museum Park was born from a deep respect for children and their potential for discovery. Surroundings are ever-changing, flexible, and constantly open to interpretation and play. The park enriches the life of our children, adds beauty and interest to our environment, and is a great achievement in response to the growing sophistication of our city.

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