The rooftop playground at 11 Hoyt in Brooklyn, New York is one of the many amenities that are a part of this stunning new condominium development. Working collaboratively with Hollander Design, Earthscape developed the playground concept inspired by the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. Similarly, the form of the monarch influenced some of the architectural features of the 57-story luxury residence. Accordingly, the focal points of the play space are the whimsical butterfly and caterpillar sculptures. Hexagonal stacked climbers of varying size create organic circuits within the playground and between the sculptures. The designers created links for circulation play to maximize the limited space of the playground. As a result, this compact playground packs in tons of accessible play opportunities.
Both the caterpillar and butterfly sculptures allow for non-prescriptive and continuous play. The butterfly wings create opportunities for climbing and for passive imaginative play. Small nets connect the segments of the caterpillar’s body. One of the caterpillar’s abdominal segments – dubbed the “artist hut” – has a chalkboard that provides opportunities for creative drawings. The terrain surrounding the sculptures is mounded poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing. Consequently, the landforms provide variation and circulation patterns throughout the playground. Moreover, the terrain permits a 3 foot hill slide on the rubber slope along with natural notched log climbers. When viewed from the condos above the second-story amenity centre, this playground is an attractive addition for residents.
Renders are from Binyan Studios.