Waterfront Playground, Darling Harbour

Sara Vita

• Landscape Architects

A new playground and expanded public realm adjacent to The Ribbon building in Sydney is a key piece in the greater project of repairing the urban fabric of Darling Harbour and reconnecting central Sydney to its iconic waterfront, with an exciting, freely accessible destination for children and young people.
ASPECT Studios have led the design of The Ribbon playground and public domain, which replaces what was previously a cluttered, hard to navigate space. Sweeping out clutter and mediating challenging level changes, the public realm is now a truly publicly accessible destination that is already attracting families from across Sydney.

A widened waterfront plaza and new playground are central to the project, which covers more than a hectare adjacent to the IMAX complex.
The playground is the latest element in the long-term transformation of Darling Harbour, which has included the Darling Quarter project by ASPECT Studios, and which is creating a chain of high-quality public spaces, stretching between the water and Central station, and cementing Darling Harbour as the pre-eminent destination for families.

The playground itself builds on lessons learnt from other ASPECT-designed play spaces at Darling Quarter and Pirrama Park. Namely, that children are excited by playgrounds that break the rules – a principle that is on full display at The Ribbon playground. Using a maritime theme, the intriguing structures form a wave-shaped topography supported by climbable masts and rigging. Positioned beneath the Western Distributor, the playground and its surrounds enjoy shade throughout the year – something hard to come by in this part of the city during summer.
Sacha Coles, Global Design Director of ASPECT Studios, said, “This project adds a missing piece to the work being done in the area. In recent years, Darling Harbour has become a real destination, with great offerings in terms of restaurants, places for young children, and big events. It’s a privilege to play a part in adding something for older children and their families to enjoy.”

Anita Mitchell, Chief Executive of Placemaking NSW, said, “With around 27 million visitors a year it’s important that the NSW Government continues to revitalise Darling Harbour as a modern, accessible and enjoyable precinct with plenty of open space for recreation and play. We are thrilled with the new playground designed by ASPECT Studios which caters to older children and teenagers and complements the playground for smaller children. The new playground doubles the size of the existing playground and has been enthusiastically welcomed by families from all over Sydney.”