ARCH 4934 - Fluid Monuments: The 'Playground' Installation

MAY 20, 2025

BY Shyla Krishnappa

This semester, 5 students successfully designed and built an installation titled Playground in front of Richardson Memorial Hall, utilizing the new woodshop in the building. The final project from the seminar ARCH 4934: Fluid Monuments, taught by Alper Turan was designed by Tulane Architecture students Andrew Audemard, Livi Bowers, Jack Levine, Caleb Warner, and Kunran Zhao.

Over the course of three weeks, the students collaboratively developed the concept and constructed the piece using plywood panels and 2x4 framing. The resulting structure is an 8-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide, and 2.5-foot-long open-top box. While its raw plywood exterior blends with the building’s materiality, the vibrant red interior and ball pit walls introduce a playful, contrasting experience.

The interior, though visually engaging, remains inaccessible, visible only through cut-out openings on the surface. These glimpses, along with the unexpected presence of red balls, encourage passersby to engage with the piece and spark curiosity. Playground becomes a quietly interactive and deliberately ambiguous presence on campus.