CONEY ISLAND EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER

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Located in the heart of Coney Island, the Charles F. Murphy Early Childhood Development Center provides Pre-K education for 85 local children and serves as a community resource. The Montessori educational philosophy -- that children’s most important learning occurs outside the classroom -- is the main design driver for the building, organizing instructional space around stepped play roof terraces and blurring the distinction between indoors and outdoors. The play roof landscaping is inspired by Coney Island’s sand dunes and native grasses, incorporating nature into children’s everyday learning. Light-filled classrooms have expansive wall-to-wall windows, strengthening their relationship to the play roofs and beckoning children outside.

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The center’s vibrant and distinctive design pays homage to its storied location, with its warm yellow tones and long staggered panels wrapping the building and extending into the lobby, symbolizing the iconic Coney Island boardwalk. The sloping, rocky berm at the entrance evokes the nearby beach jetties. And inside, the colors and materials recall the quintessential Coney Island experience: the sea, sky, sand, and sun.