Science Plaza

Park Play Designs Located in the Scientific and Technological Pole of the City of Buenos Aires, the play areas of the Science Park are part of a scientific and cultural project. As a complement to the museum, they serve an educational purpose without sacrificing their playful nature. They propose a connection to various branches of science through their design: biology, physics, genetics, chemistry, etc. Beginning The project arose from the concern of the National Program for the Popularization of Science, Mincyt, which sought to create an educational proposal in the plaza. Following an initial connection with architects Max Zolkwer and Ramiro Gallardo, it was concluded that the proposal could link education with play by generating a play space for the whole family. The primary idea generated expectations that, after much prior work to visualize and understand the project's scope, became a concrete request. Development The space and the products it contains were specifically designed for the location and conceptualized as unique pieces. They are designed based on traditional playground games so that anyone can intuitively use them without instructions. Molecules, blood cells, DNA chains, a muscle, a chromosome, and a neuron, scatter over a hexagonal footprint in harmony with the rest of the park. Attention was paid to spatial issues, distributions, movements, and relationships with the context, the message to convey and types of games, as well as usage and maintenance considerations, materials and production methods, timing, costs, and stakeholders. The Team The project had an interdisciplinary team consisting of architects, industrial designers, scientists, graphic designers, structural engineers, and producers. Credits: Project and Direction: Ramiro Gallardo and Max Zolkwer. Industrial Design: Diego Gonzalez King and Valentin Cristiani (Grupo Berro) Structural Verification: Engineer Diego Vizzon. Scientific Coordination: Bernadette Saunier Rebori, Gabriel Díaz, and Diego Golombek (National Program for the Popularization of Science, Mincyt). General Coordination: Bruno Spairani. Project Team: Matías Gutierrez, Edoardo Corna, Leonardo Kppl, María Civale, Pilar Orlando, María Yarza, Javier De Paepe, Agustina Corti. Design of Instructional Signs: Enrico Rovaletti. Construction: Metalúrgica Fenosa (Neuron, Muscle, Chromosome, DNA), Polo Creativo (Molecules, Blood Cells), Estudio Euforia (magnifying glasses and finishing touches on Neuron).