The Victor Harbor Mainstreet Precinct project transforms the town centre into a vibrant public space that reflects its seaside town character and heritage, and celebrates its connection with the marine environment.
WAX Design and Outside Ideas collaborated with the City of Victor Harbor, SA Government, mainstreet traders and the local community to deliver the first two stages of the upgrade, on Ocean and Coral Streets.
With a focus on functionality, accessibility, place and innovation, the design is inspired by the Southern Right Whale as a living icon for Victor Harbor and includes creative use of paving, landscaping, drainage, art, lighting and furniture.
Dual Frame Bin Enclosures, 240L, with garbage and recycling units, have been installed with custom signage and finished with eco-certified Jarrah hardwood battens.
Arqua Drinking Fountains, with Dog Bubblers, provide fresh drinking water along the precinct. The 316 electropolished stainless steel finish used is the best marine grade option for seaside locations.
Southern Right Whales are central to the design, particularly in stage one. The whales migrate to Victor Harbor each year and have been a continuous part of local history and culture for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Street lights by WAX resemble Southern Right Whale ribs. Photo: WAX Design.
The dimensions of the intersection in stage one, and landscaped nodes, reflect the size of a mature Southern Right Whale, providing an understanding of the extreme size of the animal.
The landscape and drainage system reflects the baleen plates of the whales, used for filtering food. The planting beds form a pattern along the street, emulating barnacle clusters that form across the head of the whale.
The custom street lights represent the whale’s ribs.
The precinct was inducted into the Mainstreet SA hall of fame after receiving the title of South Australia’s best regional mainstreet twice. It also won the 2017 AILA SA Landscape Architecture Award.
Victor Harbor Mainstreet Precinct upgrade concept, by WAX Design.
