The Ribbon Playground

The Ribbon Playground

The Ribbon Playground

The Ribbon Playground is a landmark in the transformation of Sydney’s Darling Harbour—a bold, joyful intervention that reclaims the city for its youngest citizens. As the culmination of over 12 years of design and collaboration by ASPECT Studios, this 2000m² play space completes a chain of high-quality public spaces connecting Central Station to the waterfront.

Championing the idea that children belong at the heart of urban life, the playground builds on the legacy of the original Darling Quarter playground, offering a fresh, high-impact experience. In collaboration with Placemaking NSW, ASPECT Studios delivered a greener, more discovery-oriented environment that embeds physical challenges, layered storytelling, and interpretive elements within a bespoke, artful structure.

The playground is divided into two zones: ‘The Bay’—a quieter, immersive space for younger children framed by planting, balance decks, and a heritage carousel—and ‘The Wave’, a dramatic, climbable structure rising over 7m, offering rigging, decks, and a spiral slide. Together, they form a dynamic topography that invites curiosity, risk, and imagination.

Positioned beneath the Western Distributor, the site’s complexity demanded innovation. A triangulated steel structure, raft slabs, and no-fines concrete enabled seamless integration with existing services and shade structures. ASPECT’s integrated graphics—featuring local fish in language, wind scales, and cloud patterns—create a ‘seek and find’ experience that sparks wonder.

More than a playground, The Ribbon is a civic gesture—an act of urban repair that reclaims underutilised infrastructure and repositions play as a vital part of the city’s public realm. Its success is measured not only in design excellence, but in the laughter and life it brings to the city.

Cost of maintenance is undisclosed. Landscape Solutions are the landscape contractors under the management of Multiplex (Head Contractor).

Year of the project conception
2019
Year of completion of the project
2024
COST (€/m²) ($/m²) (€/ha) ($/ha)
AUD $6500 per SQM
Price category
Articulation
Price subcategory
Espacios abiertos y equipamientos
Surface
2000m2
Customer type
Administració pública
Customer Name
Placemaking NSW and Greaton
U.M.
m2
Construction company
Multiplex
Works management
Multiplex
Maintenance manager
Multiplex
Maintenance costs (€/m²)
Confidential
地址
29 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour
Coordinates UTM
-33.874077, 151.200962
City / Place
Sydney
区域
New South Wales
国家
澳大利亚