Spiire drew its design inspiration from the name of the development itself and specifically the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights. Their vision was to create something truly special for the local community, through a design concept that included an innovative combination of play, shade, solar energy, lighting and public art.

As a key part of the vision, the entire area is illuminated at night, using a custom lighting display that moves through a range of carefully programmed colours to replicate the Aurora – adding a stunning extra dimension to the overall form and beauty of the play structure

The Aurora Entry Park structure was highly complex in terms of design, manufacture, delivery and installation.

The structure needed to maintain a sleek and vibrant aesthetic to emulate the spectacular Southern Lights, while equally being structurally sound and highly durable.

Consideration also needed to be given to include adequate areas of shade from direct sunlight while addressing key sustainability issues.

The complex nature of the park design and its key structures required a truly innovative approach, both to the way it was constructed and the materials used to do it.

Two of the more overt innovations surround the park’s iconic solar trees, designed and assembled on-site by Fleetwood, and the custom programmed lighting displays that mimic the Aurora Australis each night.

• Cantilevered orange ribbon piping representing the Aurora Australis
• Custom-made luminous fiberglass pod seats
• Ball-shaped stainless steel climbing inhibitors to mimic planets
• Bespoke ‘solar trees’ providing free mobile phone charging hubs
• Graffiti resistant, UV stable coatings and finishes
• Electric barbecues & Wi-Fi

The park was created to be enjoyed by children and families, so safety was always paramount. Great care was taken to ensure all designs and materials were robust and ‘family friendly’, while a variety of measures were implemented to keep the local community safe during the construction stages.

The Aurora is a natural phenomenon, so incorporating natural materials and sustainable energy sources into the park was a priority whenever possible. In particular, solar energy and luminous finishes were specified extensively throughout the design to minimise the park’s energy footprint.