Schools

Tech Professor Helps Bring New 'ATL' Play Structure To Life

One-of-a-kind installation is part of a long-term vision for Woodruff Park, and is a unique site for kids, young tourists, college students, and local office workers to enjoy its many playful components.

This past week, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and community members gathered at the Northwest corner of Woodruff Park to unveil the "ATL" play structure, the winner of Playable 10, an international design competition co-organized by Georgia Tech Assistant Professor Claudia Rebola with the Atlanta Taskforce on Play. 

The winning designer was Canadian Jeff Santos, a gaming and app designer. His "ATL" play structure features a wheelchair accessible transfer station, a squiggly climber, multiple play panels, the treehouse-inspired climbing "T", the "L" slide and other quirks. The materials used to manufacture the structure are all recycled and made in America. 

The one-of-a-kind installation is part of a long-term vision for Woodruff Park, and is a unique site for kids, young tourists, college students, and local office workers to enjoy its many playful components.

Find out what's happening in Midtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A public-private collaboration, the project was championed by numerous civic groups as well as corporate sponsors Southern Company and Landscape Structures (LSI), which engineered and constructed the playground.

“Landscape Structures is dedicated to creating innovative play areas,” said LSI President Pat Faust in a news release. “The playground is a work of art, but it gives children infinite ways to interact with the sculpture.”

The playground’s installation is a part of the larger Woodruff Park Master Plan, which is a detailed vision of Downtown’s most distinctive green space.

Find out what's happening in Midtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

- Georgia Tech contributed to this story


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Midtown