Enhancing Public Enjoyment of a Space
Context
More than three decades ago Townsville closed its main street to traffic and developed the Flinders Street Mall. TCC later then commissioned the Flinders Street Redevelopment (FSR) project which included demolition of structures to open the streetscape, a new road, flat paved footpaths, shade structures, garden beds and extensive upgrading and relocation of stormwater drains and services. Street and Garden worked in close collaboration with Cox Rayner Architects to develop a full custom suite of furniture and provide an integrated design solution.
Considerations
The Flinders collection was designed to conform to the architectural features and archetypes. Great attention was placed on the number of seating components, modularity, and the way the different elements create flow and rhythm within the constraints of the sidewalk. Durability and robustness were paramount, with the design being able to withstand both natural forces and vandalism. The collection features a full custom suite of furniture with an array of seating options including illuminated seats, drinking fountain, bollards, tree guards and grates, bin surrounds, signage elements, and smoke stations.
Opportunities
A key opportunity was to provide a small number of modular components that could create a versatile and wide range of layouts simply by varying the configuration of modules. This created a visual balance over the course of the project site with repeating shapes to serve different contexts and functions
