The imaginative spirit of this vibrant, color-rich recreational center for children brings to mind the creativity of those years.
As a child in the ’90s, there was nothing more satisfying than opening a fresh box of colored pencils and seeing them neatly lined up in all their rainbow glory. Today, the equivalent thrill might be peeling off the protective film from an iPad screen.
Sako Architects evoke this simple analog pleasure for Generation Alpha in their project Poles, a members-only children’s center located at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.
The project, covering about 6,000 square meters, draws inspiration from the Guggenheim Museum style, featuring a white ramp that guides young visitors across three floors.
Rising through all levels are five enormous cylindrical volumes, accessible via the ramp and divided into 25 rooms for various activities, such as a dance studio, library, and sandbox.
On display are 436 pencil-shaped aluminum poles, painted in a gradient of colors.
The effect continues in the basement, where two surprisingly bright and airy swimming pools are found. Here, vibrant aluminum pipes arranged horizontally as ceiling baffles create the impression of swimming beneath an indoor rainbow.
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