Malvern residents have played, exercised and relaxed in Central Park since its 1908 opening.

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SBLA Studio carried through signs of that long history – including its Victorian greenhouse and grand, central, lemon-scented gum – into the all-abilities redesign of Central Park’s play area. 

 
 

 

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Visitors enter through a custom cut-steel gate embellished with she-oak cone and dancing paper daisy motifs. Paths navigate acacia trees, native grassland planting and a sensory garden lead to a sandpit hiding a giant sculptural banksia pod. A custom steel arbour is inspired by the historic greenhouse.

 

 

Text speech bubbles give the trees personalities to engage with; and varied play equipment makes room for both solo and group socialising. 

 
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SBLA Studio’s treatment subverts Central Park’s Victorian zoological history, instead encouraging the admiration of species in their natural habitats. Children can find ceramic bugs and tree frogs hidden throughout the playground; or store samples of seed pods and leaves in “discovery cloches” for other young botanists to examine.

 

 
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Address: 13 Kingston St, Malvern East VIC 3145

Client: City of Stonnington 

Dates: 2021-2024

Team: 

  • Gemma Peirce Cooke 

  • Simone Bliss 

  • Kate McCracken

  • Sascha Martin

  • Landscape Contractors

  • Terraform Civil

  • Project Team

  • Open Spaces Department - City of Stonnington

  • JMP Engineers

  • B4 Compliance

  • Hercules Play Audito

Photo Credit: Pier Carthew 

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