Backyard and Run...
"Mommy, I'm going to play in the alley! This is the beginning of a never-ending story where the imaginary and collective world takes on its full meaning and the infinite begins. One more character joins the theater of the alley and the improvisation of this micro-society, the next-door neighbor observes the toddlers through the half-built fence and the neighbor across the street supervises little Charlie while cooking.
An extension of the backyard, the alley is an emblematic element of Montreal. It is part of the popular culture. The alley has often been likened to an urban theater, a permanent stage where collective and private life take place and where the inhabitants are both actors and spectators. In this great theater of memory, all times are present and several plays are played simultaneously. The architecture of the place is the fixed decor of human life and improvisation calls for games...
The passage through the alley, from one courtyard to another, from public to private, this heterogeneous, cacophonous and semi-disorganized place offers us universes, challenges, exchanges, in short, socialization; it is interactivity in its simplest expression, the universal playground in this place of passage of urban alleys.
Here, in the alley, children and adults meet to discover, play and create in a playful and fun setting and all the senses are put to work for children of all ages. The imaginary world is built! The table is set, everything is in everything, "Action".
The alley here is created through a path of fence segments and trees to bring the space back to human scale. The alley is warm, cramped but accessible. The modular segments bring us back to these small, comfortable and safe spaces. They can be moved according to the space available and create as many backyards and neighbors with as many diversified games. The segments vary in height and have holes and openings to discover other play elements on the other side.
We all have a memory of swinging on a tree swing. Three interactive trees that, when swung on, emit a unique musical note, such as the squeaks of imperfect movements, the notes harmonize and change if several children play at the same time, promoting collaboration and exploration through active play.
The three carousels are a nod to the many spiral staircases in Montreal. Made of thick ropes, they allow children to climb and develop their psychomotor skills and balance in complete safety. No electrical system powers them so that parents and friends can interact with each other to make the ride run. When children climb, the pressure on the ropes activates different sounds. Imagination is at the heart of the carousels. Children and adults can create melodies and interact together. In the evening, the ropes become luminous and give way to the sculptural representation of the carousel. These interactive trees contribute to the sensory development of the child in a playful and amusing way becomes the anchor of the place and its reason loses all its sense... always in the cognitive imagination of course!
These trees are adorned with colored plastic pellets protecting from the sun and projecting bright and attractive colors on the ground. The movement generated by the rotation creates all the more play of colors on the ground, the magic and the mystery of the alley amplifies...
The clotheslines installed contribute to the link that unites the alley. The colored plastic linen gives a particular and playful touch. Simple streams of water drip down to refresh. Water jets fall into a basin with rocks of different sizes to make paths, blocking the current. The water games also have a refreshing and dynamic section (clothesline), a contemplative section (jets of different heights) and a creative section (pool and rocks) in order to maximize the types of games and attract toddlers and adults alike. At night, the clothesline lights up and becomes an iconographic element of the site.
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