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Spotlight On: The Ian Potter Children's WILD PLAY Garden
Location: Centennial Parklands, Sydney, Australia. Project by: ASPECT Studios, Botanic Gardens & Centennial Parklands, Sam Crawford Architects, Cave Urban, Design Landscapes, Fleetwood Urban
The project vision for the Ian Potter Children’s WILD PLAY Garden was to create a children’s garden comprising dedicated natural spaces to inspire and encourage young people to engage in exciting, creative and imaginative outdoor activities.
WILD PLAY is a botanical wonderland nestled within the grand tree-lined avenues and rolling hills of Sydney’s Centennial Parklands. Created as a counterpoint to an increasingly dense and digitalised urban life, WILD PLAY is immersive experience. It’s rich with plants and sculpture, and encourages young imaginations to run wild.
The project draws on a range of environmental research from educators and organisations that highlights the importance of nature in the development of resilient, creative, compassionate and healthy children. The site is one of Sydney’s most densely vegetated landscapes in an urban area, with over 13,000 trees, shrubs, succulents, grasses and ground covers planted. Of the 22 tree and 57 understorey species used, more than half are native to Australia.
ASPECT Studios led the design team from competition through to completion. The project illustrates how landscape architecture can inspire in children a deep love and respect of nature, ultimately leading to advocacy and stewardship of natural systems and a more resilient and harmonious future.