PLAY

Play is rarely as frivolous as it may seem. Take, for example, the relationship between sports and combat: Many writers saw the football pitch as an allegory for England’s performance in World War I, and today it’s not uncommon to hear metaphors that connect professional football in America to the gladiatorial games of the Roman Empire. A single game can connote entire histories of violence and much more.

Architecture’s engagement with spaces for play is no less serious. In this feature section, we set sports aside to investigate other realms of playfulness and their consequences. We look into the growing momentum behind urban casinos in cities like New York and Chicago. In Nashville, we explore the reimagination of two buildings along the city’s legendary Music Row as ideal spaces for songwriting. And, at last, we embrace America’s love of outdoor recreation to catch the view from the new Summit Visitors Center atop Pike’s Peak.