Colorful and inviting, this PNC PlaySpace Open room features hanging green strands, vibrant abstract wall art, soft cushions, artificial grass underfoot, and soothing purple lighting near a large window.

Bossa Nova Baby

PNC PlaySpace Immersive Exhibition

Colorful indoor play area with a slide, abstract wall art, hanging strings, and large, patterned soft play structures on the floor.

Welcome to the lungs of the earth.

Bossa Nova Baby is an immersive sensory exhibition for 0 to 5 year olds in the PNC PlaySpace that transports families to the heart of the Brazilian rainforest.

Experience a day (and night) in the most incredible and diverse ecosystem in the world and meet some wildly unique plants and animals that call the Amazon Rainforest home.

Book a Time to Explore

Designed by Dash Studio with Creative Direction by Courtney Hammond

Conceived by Alliance Theatre

Visitors are invited to splash in a projection-mapped river, interact with a glowing rainbow fiberoptic display, and discover the rhythms of the canopy by playing handcrafted instruments. From snuggling into ‘hug wall’ vines to lounging among giant frog pillows, this lush environment offers a vibrant space for early learners to explore, rest, and play.

Colorful indoor play area with a slide, abstract wall art, hanging strings, and large, patterned soft play structures on the floor.
A young child in overalls touches a glowing, blue fiber optic display, squinting and smiling at the bright light.
A young child in a blue jacket holds a glowing orb, illuminated by its light in a dark setting.
A young child stands and holds colorful hanging ropes, while other children and an adult sit or stand in the background in a play area.

Inspiration

A close-up of a colorful, textured fiber art installation featuring abstract shapes in red, purple, black, and blue, with prominent protruding yellow strands.

Bossa Nova literally translates to “New Trend” or “New Wave” in Portuguese to signal its uniquely conceptual approach to music.

Clusters of mushrooms in the dark, each cap glowing in various bright neon colors including blue, pink, green, yellow, and purple.

The Amazon ecosystem is a 1.4 billion acre biological engine that directly influences the entire world’s climate.

A bumpy frog with iridescent purple and green coloring photographed from above against a dark blue background.

The Amazon is home 10% of all living species on the globe including 8,000 species of frogs and 4 million species of fungus. A new species is discovered every 48 hours!

The exhibition lives and breathes. A custom lighting program transitions from dawn to dusk beneath a soft satin canopy washed in purple dayglow, gently dissolving the world outside. A continuous bossa nova soundtrack carries warmth and rhythm through the space. And, as in any rainforest, every half hour it rains.

Bossa Nova Baby: The Lungs of the Earth is conceived as a site of renewal where art, sound, light, and community converge. It is both playful and profound, an invitation to gather inside something that feels vividly alive.

Courtney Hammond, Dash Studio
Creative Director

The first few years of life are essential to human development, but there are so few public spaces that tolerate babies and toddlers. At the Alliance Theatre, we celebrate these years and welcome children to be their authentic selves. They need to move, touch, laugh, and connect with their trusted adults. The PNC PlaySpace installation, BOSSA NOVA BABY, is a peaceful retreat where early learners and their grownups can experience joy, connection, and wonder. We hope this space provides a gentle landing place to imagine new worlds, take tiny risks, and form lasting memories with the people they love most.

Olivia Aston Bosworth, Alliance Theatre
Dan Reardon Director of Youth and Families

Creative Team

Woman with long, wavy blonde hair and green earrings smiles at the camera in a dimly lit indoor setting with colorful lights in the background.

Courtney Hammond
Santiago Páramo

Santiago Páramo
A smiling man with a large afro hairstyle, glasses, and a patterned shirt stands against a plain white background.

Luther Ocasio
A man with long dark hair and a beard smiles at the camera, wearing a purple hoodie and a grey t-shirt, with a blurred indoor background.

Mike Lustig
A woman with long brown hair and jewelry stands in front of a colorful, textured textile artwork featuring abstract patterns.

Carla Contreras
A man wearing glasses and a gray blazer smiles at the camera in a workshop with tools and equipment in the background.

Abraham Dos Santos
A man wearing a green cap and black splatter-painted shirt stands in front of a wall of old, rusty metal filing cabinets.

Charlie Schwab
Person with short curly hair and tattoos wearing a white textured shirt stands in front of a bright blue textured wall, looking at the camera.

Kristen Consuegra
A man with dark hair wearing a navy collared shirt stands in front of a teal background with a subtle geometric pattern.

Ivan Reyes

Sponsored by

PNC logo featuring an orange circular symbol with three white triangles and the letters "PNC" in blue to the right.

Person dressed in a costume with a brown hat and scarf, holding a vintage telephone and appearing surprised or shocked.

Come Curious. Leave Changed.

Join us for transformative theater that speaks to the heart of Atlanta.

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