Olson Kundig Overhauls an Experiential Campus for Kids in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area

2021 Best of Year winner for Kids Zone

Steeped in museum design in general and children’s spaces in particular—Noah’s Ark at Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, and its counterpart, The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin, for example—Olson Kundig was right at home planning the phased overhaul of this 7 ½-acre experiential campus for kids in the Golden Gate National Recreation area. First up are five new permanent exhibits—interactive activities and environments on which design principal Alan Maskin and his team collaborated with early learning experts from the museum’s research division. Tot Spot for infants and toddlers focuses on touch and engagement through elements like a waterbed, rolling land masses, and a black-and-white mural (very young children don’t perceive color the same way as their elders). How Things Work dissects familiar items like a circuit board, small car, and washing machine, encouraging kids of all ages to envision themselves as creators. Try It Studio features machines such as a kinetic drawing arm and an interactive music box that youngsters from age 3 to 10 can use and adapt. And there are two outdoor exhibits: Faith, a decommissioned commercial fishing boat, and Gumnut Grove, three treehouses to climb through, helping to build confidence and motor skills.

Olson Kundig: Alan Maskin; Marlene Chen; Megan Zimmerman; Crystal Coleman, Jerome Tryon; Ryan Botts; Tessa Crespo; Jared Luther; Sarah Muchow; Mike Lee