Darling Quarter Playground Sydney | Water Play Urban Design by Urbania

Project

The playspace at Darling Quarter was created by Lend Lease Group as part of a largescale urban renewal project, in an underused section of Darling Harbour in Sydney. Centrepiece of the play area is a thousand square metres of interactive
waterplay.

Water has always been a feature of Darling Harbour, but it takes centre stage in the amazing waterplay space, which acts an oasis of joy amidst the hustle ‘n bustle of the busy city centre. It encourages children to interact with nature and allows an element of managed risk.

Design

The vision of the ASPECT Studios design team was to create a family friendly urban play space, that would be embraced by the community and deliver economic benefits to the precinct.

Created over a formed concrete surface, including several man-made boulders, the extensive waterplay area features a design that is strongly reminiscent of ice floes. In between the ice floes, water travels through channels and can be dammed and diverted by the children.

Much of the water is actually pumped by the kids, which of course they always enjoy, and can then be transported back to the source using an Archimedes screw and scoop fountain.

Equipment

Our play partner Richter Spielgeräte provided an array of rugged waterplay equipment, manufactured from premium quality stainless steel. Many of these elements were custom designed and the first of their kind in Australia.

A pair of Mushroom Head Splash Pumps arouse the curiosity of every child who sees them. They literally squeal with delight when they discover that the mushrooms spray jets of water when pressed.

There are eight Water Switches and five Lock Gates throughout the play area. These offer great play value as they enable kids to experience the power of water by
damming and releasing it.

Seven highly robust Playground Pumps encourage collaboration and role-play activities, because the water will not flow from them unless the children actively pump it. Equipment such as the Small Bucket Wheel, a Water Scoop, and the Water Flooders allow younger children opportunities to observe up close how water moves and flows.