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72 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / December 2020 / Pancho Sanchez Park / a dynamic interactive environment. Looking up or down the hill, visitors are visually drawn and invit- ed to explore from pod to pod, which helps promote healthy movement and interactivity. At the toe of the slope a Plaza and Recreation Building, designed in conjunction with Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture and PORT Urbanism, anchors spaces for other activi- ties including play fields, basketball and skate board- ing. Surrounding the Music Bowl, a series of play pods provide a unique experience for kids to play while their families enjoy performances. The stage is en- graved with Paco’s radio station name and its found- ing year and provides opportunities for programming such as outdoor movies and concerts during sum- mer months. The Speaker Pod’s balance beam and old-fashioned speaker cylinder project out toward the concave walls of the Tres Ondes Sonoros (three sound waves) Pod across the Music bowl. The Tape Reel Pod features a revolving zip line while the Musica Pod boasts a series of linked play cylinders engraved with the types of music and instruments used in Paco’s era. The colorful play features and custom shade structure of the signature Folklorico Pod abstractly represent the swirling skirts of traditional Folklorico dancers. The park’s location in a relatively dense and central Denver neighborhood allows for easy access for those living near or far. Multimodal access is available, with a stop on RTD’s West Line just across the street and mul- tiple bus routes nearby. Bikers are also able to easily ac- cess the park via on or off-street bike paths to further encourage healthy activity in and around the park. \\ OPENING ART TOP: Paco Sanchez launched the first Spanish language radio station in Denver in 1954 – his love of music and connection to the community as a DJ inspired the design team. Courtesy Vienna Vitek/Dig Studio OPENING ART BOTTOM: The redesign organizes a series of play pods along a continuous one-fifth-mile-long zigzag loop path. Courtesy Paul Wedlake. LEFT: A play bridge leads to the Microphone Play Tower, which overlooks the Music Bowl and zigzag Play Loop below. Courtesy Vienna Vitek/Dig Studio RIGHT: The colorful play features and custom shade structure of the signature Folklorico Pod abstractly represent the swirling skirts of traditional Folklorico dancers. Courtesy Vienna Vitek/Dig Studio

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