Yesterday I went to the Saturday Street Market (also open of a Sunday) and ate lunch by the Salmon Street Springs fountain, which is basically an elliptical splash pad embraced by an amphitheatre. The more I sat and watched, the more I realized how clever the design was: the form sets the splashing children at center stage and ensures that there are always being watched because all sight lines lead to the center. The splash space has jets that cycle through a series of various spray patterns and is designed so that it slopes gently towards the seating, giving the the kids several inches of water to splash in at the apex of the inner curve, which is where they spent most of their time. Too many splash pads focus just on the fountain, but neglect the puddle. We must not neglect the puddle.
And right behind the amphitheatre was a patch of sand for digging; I couldn't tell if it was intentionally placed or had been dug by the kids themselves into the fill behind the amphitheatre, which was losing its grass due to foot traffic. There were several kids happily digging away and it reminded me of Nora Archibald Smith's 1896 advocacy of urban sand heaps...still very good advice.
(Apologies for the poor quality cell-phone photos...when I set out for lunch I didn't expect to see such a nice space!)
This reminds me - years while visiting my grandparents in Texas, I went with them to a similar wading pool/fountain, which was newly constructed as part of a new tourest shopping area. A few years after that, I visited again, but the fountans were shut down, due to the fountain having been contaminated with salmonella or something similar. Do you know how they usually keep these fountains safe? They're so much fun, it frustrates me to hear of them being shut down.
ReplyDeleteI've been getting your blog feed for months now. Some of the ideas have been great for creating a space for my own kids. I appreciate your penchant for natural and non-commercial structures. I'm honored that you're here in my town!
ReplyDeleteBlue Lake Park in Fairview would be a good start. Aerial photos look like they still have some of their 1950's era equipment. Most of the other parks have replaced everything with commercial brand equipment.
Enjoy your stay!
Jamieson Fountain in the Pearl District is always full of children this time of year. There's also a wild fountain in Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver, WA - about a 10 minute drive from downtown Portland. There's a great natural playscape in Eugene, Oregon and one being built at NE 42nd and Prescott Street in Portland at the Ivy School. And while a bit plasticy and primary colored, there's a large playground in Washington Park, just a few blocks from the Japanese Garden, which is mostly comprised of ramps which makes it accessible to children of differing abilities. Enjoy your stay in Portland!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Portlandites! I loved visiting your city, though since I didn't have a car I couldn't get out of the center much. But more Portland posts soon...
ReplyDeleteMichelle, the main thing with fountains is to keep them moving, which helps keep bacteria from multiplying. But if 'waste' gets in there isn't much you can do...all of these fountains smell strongly of chlorine for good reason!