Dome

Traditional wattle fence, woven in an irregular pattern; Gunnera plant to right; Inserting a play area into a museum space has become fairly commonplace but many of these remain part of the museum space for which there is a charge. The de Young's space remains free and freely accessible for local families on a frequent, informal basis. Harry Parker, director, asked Hood to design an area for children that could be both an outdoors teaching space and a "holding compound" for school classes waiting to access the museum's classrooms. Hood's response reflects his belief that children should be allowed to engage in spatial and creative experiences rather than be confronted with stationary play objects. Hence there is a fountain (reused from original building), sand dunes, a boardwalk to a redwood grove, a "Rolling Dune Fog Bog", undulating hills and ambient music. Source: Solomon, Susan G.; American Playgrounds: Revitalizing Community Space, UPNE, 2005 (1584655178) (accessed 9/2/2015)