Case Study: Oxford City Park Furniture
SolidArt's scope encompasses design and interpretation for indoor and outdoor sites. Here is an example of how our work has helped reclaim disused parks for their local communities.
The Client
Oxford City Council, in collaboration with local residents and environmental regeneration charity Groundwork.
The Project
The development of neighbourhood parks: neglected and underused areas, which felt threatening to be in, were to be transformed into safe, exciting, welcoming spaces for all sectors of the community.
The Challenge for SolidArt
SolidArt was commissioned to design and make park furniture and interpretation that would make these public spaces feel inviting and engaging to local user groups, creating areas that the public would enjoy using and feel they had a personal stake in.
The Solution
SolidArt's Philip Clayden recommended that the designs for park furniture and signage should both meet functional criteria and display artistic forms which complemented the spaces and their history. Park benches, picnic tables and signposts were given joyful, organic designs which reflected the setting and communicated a sense of excitement about the outdoor world.
Developing the concept of the public noticeboard, Philip introduced tall, hand-carved wooden posts, with poster recesses where local user groups could advertise community events.
In each park one of the 'totem poles' doubled up as a signpost pointing out local landmarks. The other incorporated a trail of carved 'minibeasts' which served as an interactive feature for families. Children could rub the carvings (with wax crayon and paper) or go on a hunt to find where else the minibeasts appeared in the park.
These highly textured posts also represented sensory stimulus for the visually impaired.
In addition to meeting the seating criteria, park benches were given flowing, curved lines to reflect their setting. Close inspection revealed more minibeasts for children to discover.
In line with SolidArt's environmental policy, all the furniture and signage was made using locally supplied timber from the nearby Chiltern woodlands.
The Result
The opening celebrations of each park were testament to the success of the regeneration projects. Unexpectedly high numbers of local people of all ages attended both events, bringing the formerly disused spaces to life.Feedback confirmed that local user groups were delighted with the changes and that residents of all ages were enjoying using the parks.
Next Steps
Philip Clayden has developed a scheme of interpretation for each park, for which funding is being sought. These include a graphic display recalling local history and past usage of the spaces, and celebrating the wildlife. The intention is to promote a greater sense of local ownership of and responsibility for the parks.
