‘Car Yard’ Playground pop-up wins major award
Who knew a Ford Falcon Ute could be a playground, barbecue and sandpit all in one?
FORM is delighted to announce the winner of the $20,000 Judges’ Choice Award at PUBLIC Platform prototyping festival is Car Yard, a street installation making an AstroTurf Ute into an Australian backyard on Claremont’s Bayview Terrace.
Car Yard was created by landscape architects and colleagues from Perth-based PLACE Laboratory, a studio and design practice specialising in artistic and socially responsive solutions to public realm projects throughout Western Australia. The team comprises Anna Chauvel, Shlomit Strum, Hans Oerlemans, Mike Rowlands, Tom Griffiths, Rob Grandison, Scott Rossiter and Theo Valentine.
PUBLIC Platform judges were international urban change makers Deborah Cullinan, the CEO of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; Japanese architect Takaharu Tezuka; and Greens Senator Scott Ludlam. Deborah Cullinan explained why the judges chose Car Yard:
“Car Yard created a public space that was many different things for so many different people: you could make your breakfast, share your story, play, dig and laugh. It was playful, immediately understandable and accessible, garnered great response from the public, and was very much of its place.”
“Public engagement needs to be fitting for its culture and environment. The things that stand out and resonate in Tokyo or San Francisco or Perth will naturally differ, and seeing the public response indicated this was an approach that worked for this place. The Car Yard team had a strongly developed offering and engaged their public well.”
The opening weekend of PUBLIC 2016, FORM’s annual festival of art, urban activation and creative conversation drew thousands of people to Claremont to see artworks, murals, play with 24 prototypes, and party with the artists.
FORM’s Executive Director Lynda Dorrington said:
“The first weekend of PUBLIC 2016 is showing that place activation is alive and well in the Claremont Town Centre. People of all ages are engaged and passionate about the Platform entries, and the winner, Car Yard, embodies the spirit of Platform. At one point there were 20 children and parents climbing in and all over the Ute. PUBLIC 2016 continues at PUBLIC Campus bringing WA and international urban artists to Curtin University this week.”
From Monday 4 to Sunday 10 April, the PUBLIC 2016 action moves to Curtin University’s Bentley campus, then PUBLIC In The Great Southern will transform Albany’s York Street from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 April.
PUBLIC Platform is a part of PUBLIC 2016 in partnership with Town of Claremont and LandCorp.
