Pleasant Playground

The revitalized Pleasant Playground came to fruition after more than 10 years of city and neighborhood planning. Based in part on the Holmesburg Recreation Center, also designed by BKP, the flexible Pleasant Playground building – featuring durable and brightly colored structural glazed facing tile on the exterior and vandal-resistant fixtures and energy efficient HVAC systems on the interior – has become a cost-effective and sustainable prototype building for the city’s recreation program. The Pleasant Playground community recreation complex includes a new enclosed activity center, outdoor playground, improved walking trails and paths around the playing fields, with a phased plan to add a future gymnasium. The design gives the building a better street presence and connection to its East Mount Airy neighborhood. As part of the project, BKP worked with the City of Philadelphia’s Percent for Art program to commission Benjamin Volta’s Coordinates of Play, a site-specific public artwork.

Media Coverage

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Durability and style for a rec center