Celebration Station
New design for Discovery Green birthday tent has a childlike playfulness
Discovery Green has always been a popular destination for family celebrations, but the park is under-prepared for the throngs of toddlers with birthday parties. The Stedman West Veranda, situated near the McGovern Playground, is the only park facility geared toward children's celebrations.
Enter H-E-B, which, in partnership with Discovery Green, sponsored a Celebration Station Tent Design Competition for an additional pop-up facility.
H-E-B and park officials opened up the competition to community artists. Public voting began for the three finalists at the end of August, and the winner of the competition was announced last week at the family movie night screening of Ratatouille. Giancarlo Perossa received a $2,500 prize for his design, which will come to life on the Celebration Station tent.
Perossa is an architectural project manager by day, a father and artist at night. In conceptualizing his design, he channeled personal experiences and memories of the park.
"I was inspired by my own family's experiences at Discovery Green while attending the free, weekly, evening, summer music events on stage at Discovery Green the past two years," he said in a statement.
"It always brings me great joy to see my toddler and his friends dance without any inhibitions right in front of the stage. It's moments like these that bring deep meaning to a place that serves a community. We always arrive late afternoon when the sun is still out, taking in the views of the skyline. By the time we leave, exhausted children in hand, we find ourselves under a canopy of night sky and a matrix of lighted skyscraper windows that give us another glimpse of Houston's beauty and uniqueness."
The resulting illustration of dancing children and the Houston cityscape evokes a childlike innocence and a sense of community — a fitting backdrop for birthday celebrations.
The tent will be placed on the Sarofim Picnic Lawn, and will be ready for public use by Dec. 1. It will also be on display at Families on the Green on Feb. 26, 2012.