Playscapes facts for kids

Playscapes is a special playground in Atlanta, Georgia. It was designed by a famous artist and landscape architect named Isamu Noguchi. This unique playground was finished in 1976. You can find it inside Piedmont Park, a big park in Atlanta.

The Idea Behind Playscapes

The artist Isamu Noguchi was Japanese-American. He first thought about designing a playground way back in 1933. He called his first idea Play Mountain. This design was never built, but Noguchi kept creating new playground ideas. For many years, he tried to make his playground dreams come true.

In 1940, he had an idea for a playground at Ala Moana Park in Honolulu. But this project also did not happen. During the 1950s and 1960s, he tried to build a playground in New York City. He worked with architect Louis Kahn on some designs. Sadly, these projects were not built either.

Noguchi's first playground that actually got built was in 1965. It was a temporary playground called Kodomo no Kuni. This playground was located outside of Tokyo, Japan.

Building the Atlanta Playground

In 1973, a volunteer at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta had a great idea. They suggested creating a playground that was also a work of art. The museum director liked the idea a lot. They decided this art playground would be the High Museum's gift to Atlanta. It was to celebrate the United States Bicentennial in 1976.

The museum was given a spot in Piedmont Park to build the playground. Noguchi was officially hired in October 1975. He finished his designs for the playground by December of that year. He was paid $225,000 to create it.

The playground was finished in 1976, just in time for the bicentennial celebrations. Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson accepted the playground for the city. The opening ceremony was on May 1, 1976. Both Mayor Jackson and a fun character named H.R. Pufnstuf were there. H.R. Pufnstuf was from a popular children's television show.

The Playscapes playground covers about 1 acre (0.4 hectare). It is near the park's 12th Street entrance. This was the only playground Noguchi built in the United States before he passed away in 1988.

Keeping Playscapes Great

Playscapes has been cared for over the years.

First Restoration

In 1996, 20 years after it opened, the playground was fixed up. A Japanese construction company called Kajima did the work for free (this is called pro bono). This restoration was done to get ready for the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta.

Later Repairs

By the mid-2000s, the playground needed more attention. Some slides had rust, and there was graffiti on parts of the equipment. In 2008, experts said it would cost $3 million to replace the whole playground.

Between 2008 and 2009, the city spent $350,000 to restore it again. They even made small changes to some parts of the design. These changes helped the playground meet newer, better safety standards.

In 2014, Playscapes had another restoration. A company called Herman Miller gave a grant of $21,000 for this work. The entire playground was repainted. A wall in the pavilion area was also repaired.

A ceremony in 2009 to celebrate the playground's restoration.