- Location
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Market
- Councils & Developers
Play Priorities
This Playground Centre and Auckland City Council collaboration is testimony to the power of a play space to connect people and place.
Overlooking the Whau River in the Auckland suburb of Kelson, Archibald Park’s new bespoke, themed play space was inspired by the river and the ecosystem it supports, and the role the river has played in the culture and history of the area.
It’s a blend of past and present that has made Archibald Park a destination playground for new generations of Auckland children and families seeking to explore the beauty of this stretch of the river.
Fun Solution
The Archibald Park playground is rich in play options for children of all ages and abilities and places a big emphasis on fun and enjoyment for the whole family.
The playground features a 30-metre Flying Fox fitted with an all-ages seat, an array of inclusive and accessible play equipment, a fenced play area for toddlers, and a unique 6-metre high tower which we designed and crafted especially for the space.
Wherever possible, the play equipment has been customised to incorporate natural materials such as timber and finished in eco-inspired tones. But it is the tower at the heart of this playground which really enabled the Council and Playground Centre team to carry the nature theme to new heights.
Our cleverly-designed Playomino tower gave us the freedom to create an ‘out-of-the-box’ structure for the park which mimics a Maimai – the kind of camouflaged hut that duck and game bird hunters would have constructed on the river’s edge in the past. For young players who are only hunting adventure, however, the tower provides a vantage point to spot the variety of birdlife that is prevalent in the area. This includes the banded rail or moho pereru, whose feathers provided the inspiration for the tower’s olive-brown, cream and black colour palette.
When they’ve climbed as high as they want, children can slide down the massive, curved tubed slide fitted to the tower and run off to swing, jump and ride on the other equipment dotted around the park. The spinning top-like Flecto Carousel, 6 Bay Timba Swing fitted with inclusive basket swing, Timber Seesaw and Monkey Bar Fitness Station provide endless play possibilities for the whole family.
In the playground’s toddler zone, we installed a 1500 Double Embankment Slide into a turfed mound, in-ground Trampoline and other age-appropriate play gear.
Archibald Park also features a bike track and connections to the Te Whau pathway.