Bradbury Park Playscape

Once a worn clearing beneath a canopy of eucalypts, the final stage of redevelopment at Bradbury Park has been transformed by a vibrant playscape where architecture, art, and nature converge. Winning a multitude of prestigious awards, this visionary project reimagines the play experience — bringing creativity and sculptural expression into the heart of Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

Rather than imposing on the landscape, the playscape is intricately woven into it — conserving native bushland, building upon existing pathways, affording equitable access in, around, and through the site, while simultaneously managing overland water flow and enriching the park’s natural ecology. Every element, from subterranean ‘byways’ to soaring timber ‘hollows’, frames moments of discovery, play, or quiet reflection.

The design draws inspiration from a quiet moment amidst the bustle of Saturday morning netball — standing beneath an ironbark tree, hearing subtle movement above, and looking up to catch a burst of colour: a family of lorikeets feeding in the hollow of a branch. That unexpected encounter with nature’s vibrancy shaped the spirit of the playscape, responding to the themes of home, physical connection, and social interaction, and informing the idea of a playful ‘biological city’ woven into the landscape.

Crafted to spark the curiosity of 10–15-year-olds while welcoming all ages and abilities, the playscape invites intergenerational connection and shared experience. Here, the architecture of the ‘hollows’ themselves becomes the play — abstracted from the natural world to create a space of creativity, challenge, and wonder.

Guided tours will offer a rare insight into the early sketches, ideas, and interdisciplinary thinking that shaped a place where culture, community, and landscape are celebrated through design.