Your top 10 most-read StreetChat stories in 2021

With the ongoing uncertainty and upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was another tough year for us all. Outdoor public spaces continue to be vitally important, offering communities a reprieve from living and working indoors.

Street Furniture Australia is proud to have contributed to many inspiring and caring places in 2021. Here are 10 of our subscribers’ most-read StreetChat e-newsletter stories for the year.

10. 1.5 million battens: Ari’s 25-year anniversary

Street Furniture Australia employee Ari Zaharopoulos celebrated 25 years working with the company. Throughout his career, he has processed an impressive estimated 1.5 million battens. Read more

A pop-up project by North Sydney Council, designed by Turf Design Studio and Studio Garbett, has transformed newly pedestrianised Kirribilli streets. Part of the ‘Streets as Shared Spaces’ and Kirribilli Masterplan Pilot Projects, the project has reinvigorated the street with eye-catching colour and greenery, supported by customised round Frame Planters powder coated in Bondi Blue. Read more

8. Albany Creek Community Centre QLD

Moreton Bay Regional Council has upgraded the Albany Creek Community Centre in South East Queensland, with a new entrance and landscape designed by Mode Design. The welcoming space encourages the community to gather and rest. Mode specified Linea Seats for their durability and ability to plinth-fix to concrete. Read more

7. ChillOUT wins 2021 PIA National Award

ChillOUT Hubs, a collaboration between Georges River Council, the University of NSW, the University of Sydney and Street Furniture Australia, won a 2021 PIA National Award for Best Planning Ideas – Small Project. The prototype Hubs provide open-air smart community spaces at three Georges River sites and are in development for launch in early 2022. Read more

6. Korongee Dementia Village TAS

A $25 million project from Glenview, HESTA, Social Ventures Australia and the Australian Government, Korongee in Derwent Park, Tasmania, offers a home-based model for residents that mimics ordinary life. Lead designers ThomsonAdsett architects worked with landscape architects Papworth Davies, Cykel Architecture, SMG, Gandy & Roberts, Equality Building and Pitt & Sherry. An easy-to-navigate landscape inspired by the local neighbourhood offers a sense of community and familiarity, featuring Park DDA Seats. Read more

5. Houston Botanic Garden and Claudia Gee Vassar profile

A world-class outdoor museum, Houston Botanic Garden in Texas, designed in collaboration with West 8, offers an inspiring reprieve with plants from across the world. Indoor and outdoor cafe areas feature highly-durable Cafe Tables, customised with a solid table top. StreetChat interviewed President and General Counsel Claudia Gee Vassar about opening during the pandemic, and future ambitions for the garden – see the case study and In Profile piece.

Photo: Michael Tims.

4. Cullen Bay Marina NT

A revitalisation project by Cullen Bay Marina Management Corporation, designed by Clark & Granger, connects and enhances the public space between the ocean and marina in Darwin, Northern Territory. Aria Seats and Benches were specified in the ultimate low-maintenance materials and finishes, Wood Without Worry aluminium woodgrain battens and Textura frames, offering longevity in a marine environment. Read more

3. Taylor Riverfront Precinct SA

Jensen PLUS has designed a waterfront park for the community to enjoy the Murray River in Renmark, South Australia. Renmark Paringa Council have praised the precinct for encouraging families to spend time outside. It features a river deck with sheltered area including an extra-long 5.2 metre Classic Plaza Back-to-Back Seat. Read more

2. Dillwynia Women’s Correctional Centre NSW

The design by NBRS Architecture for this Sydney women’s prison expansion re-envisions the traditional institutional layout, with green spaces that foster a feeling of safety and promote therapy and positivity. Therapeutic gardens and landscaping are furnished with curved and straight Mall Slim Benches. Read more

Photo: NBRS.

1. Sky Lounge, Lake Tyrrell VIC

At Lake Tyrrell in rural Victoria lies the Sky Lounge, designed by Thomson Hay Landscape Architects for Buloke Shire Council. The designers reviewed our report on how heat interacts with various batten materials, selecting anodised aluminium to make the seating as cool and comfortable as possible. Visiting tourists are invited to lie back in Mall Sun Lounges to soak up surreal sunsets and gaze at the stars. Read more

Photo: Thomson Hay Landscape Architects.

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