Lucky Climbers create playground climbing structures, that look like sculptures. Dozens of Luckey Climbers have delighted children and adults alike in cities across the world, including Ireland, Switzerland, Singapore and China.
Each scheme works with height and is supported by a netting system; this allows the children to clamber up, while visually exploring their surrounding landscape. A great tool for kids to test their limits, take safe risks, and develop confidence in their physical abilities.
The climber was designed by Thomas Luckey, an artist, sculptor and architect who sadly passed away in August of 2012. Tom was an incredibly gifted and inspiring human being who was devoted to his craft in spite of his physical challenges (in 2005 he fell tragically out a window and was paralyzed from the shoulders down). Son of Tom, Spencer Luckey who graduated from the Yale School of Architecture, is now President of Luckey Climbers.
“…I am a KID ARCHITECT!” says Spencer. “Everywhere kids go in the rooms of buildings, rules oppress them–alien rules written by adults–unsympathetic magistrates. All day. Kids are dragged through zones where they are the outsider–they have no cash for the marketplace or jobs for the highrise. They need a place! I am their architect–I am their advocate. Climbers are their built voice. They embody their drives: celebration, exuberance, maniacal play, spontaneous friendship–these are the concerns of children and these are the concerns of Luckey LLC. Climbing, crawling, meeting, and cavorting–this is what my architecture is about.
Anti-adult? No way! This architecture is about reconciliation. I don’t go for kitsch, I am not in the cartoon business. I am an idealist, and I pursue the highest level of aesthetic delight. Delight in beauty–beauty is the resonance of some fundamental thing, an eternal shared thing–having an “adult look” or “kid look” can’t be beautiful. I ply my trade for the whole audience: adults and children, dwelling, architecturally together. Architecture makes answers to questions, stale old questions asked in the same gray prose by a hoarse old voice. I look to my son, and look back to myself, through a glass less darkly, we ask the young questions”.
Beautiful!
Florence Rolando
Launched in London in early 2009 by Florence Rolando (journalist, co-founder of Bubble Trade Shows) Pirouette Blog has been a reference in the industry since 2009 with its combined business and consumer view of the children’s market. A fantastic resource for children’s fashion, design, trends and culture, it aims to support creativity and talent but it also does this by talking about life, family, culture and health.
Florence is an international leader in the industry (8 years as a Milk Collaborator, contributor to Naif Magazine in Spain, co-founder of Bubble Trade Shows in New York and London).
Now Florence runs Energy Therapy Porto @enrgy_therapy_porto
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