The 2017 Exhibit Columbus in Columbus, Indiana (a site of major modernist architecture in the United States), included a small, site-specific structure by Snarkitecture called Playhouse, a house-shaped pavilion that sat between two existing buildings and toyed with viewers’ perspectives, growing smaller as one entered the long, gabled-roof structure and proceeded toward the rear. The firm describes it as “designed to highlight the discrepancy between how adults and children experience and respond to scale and proportion.” It was a good place to sit, mostly, and a welcome respite for visitors—kids and adults alike—who spent the day walking about town.
The Beach is a lovely place to take your kids on a cold winter day, hot dog in hand, to enjoy a disposable experience that will live on only through your Instagram feed. It thrives perfectly at Navy Pier, where spectacles are expected and the charm only penetrates skin-deep. v
Through 2/3: Fri-Sat 11 AM-8 PM, Sun 11 AM-5 PM, Aon Grand Ballroom, Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand, 312-595-7437, navypier.org. F
