Synonymous with fun. Famous for its high-rises. The Gold Coast skyline has welcomed a stunning new ‘skyscraper’ with the recent opening of a soaring 18-metre spiral play tower on the Gold Coast Highway at Southport – just a stone’s throw from Surfers Paradise.

A sweeping site right on the water’s edge, our brief was to design, detail and deliver an iconic destination play structure to attract families and visitors from across South East Queensland and beyond. Judging by the reactions of the excited children and families at the launch, we’ve certainly hit the mark!

The 18-metre high custom play tower and adjacent horizontal structure was designed, manufactured and installed by Fleetwood Urban and was developed in close partnership with landscape architects AECOM and lead contractors JMac. The multi-million dollar playground officially opened to the public on Saturday 20 August 2022. It marks the latest pillar to be delivered as part of the City of Gold Coast’s ongoing Broadwater Parklands Masterplan.

Unique design, unique challenges.

Inspired by the Gold Coast’s much-loved coastal lifestyle, AECOM wanted the main play tower to resemble a giant seashell, crowned by a lighthouse-styled beacon programmed to mimic the local tides. It was a wonderfully creative concept that also proved wonderfully complex to achieve.

“The team’s big challenge was shaping the intricate aesthetic vision into a structural reality that could actually be delivered,” explains Fleetwood Project Manager, Alby Kuswara. “With such a unique and complex design, there was a constant risk of overcomplication – that called for rigorous planning, specification and precision shop detailing. We also worked really closely with our play auditors, CCEP, to ensure the structures ticked every box from a safety perspective.”

Fabricated and part-assembled at our state-of-the-art Sydney workshop, the new 18-metre ‘Shell’ spiral tower includes four levels of interactive play with slides, climbing ropes and soft-fall, together with a separate horizontal play structure. The design phase alone ran for two years, with the 12-month build completed comfortably in time for the peak 2022 summer holiday period.

Battling the elements.

While the play tower itself was challenging enough, Mother Nature upped the delivery ante even further. The Broadwater Parklands stands right on the foreshore at Southport, making it extremely windy and exposed for work crews. This was compounded by record-breaking rainfall and flooding during the installation window, placing intense pressure on the program. It also exacerbated existing supply chain issues caused by Covid-19 restrictions in late 2021 which restricted the smooth flow of materials and crews across QLD/NSW border.

“It certainly wasn’t the easiest project to deliver, for a whole host of reasons,” reflects Alby Kuswara. “But looking at it now, complete, it’s definitely one of the best play structures we’ve ever created. Kids and families are going to love it!” 

You can read the full project profile here.

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