Play Pod in Sydney by Scott Carver

Scott Carver and Hoyne have partnered with Property NSW, who share a passion for connecting people and place, to locate the Play Pod at the southern end of the Goods Line for the next nine days.

Design: Scott Carver - Hoyne Design
Year: 2018
Photography: Shehani Kumarasinghege - Scott Carver - Hoyne

Project description: ‘The Play Pod’, a life-sized Rubik’s Cube of outdoor activation, is the brainchild and original concept of a team of architects, urbanists and creatives, inspired by their collective passion for places that inspire people every day, and prompted by the theme of this year’s Sydney Design Festival – ‘Call to Action’.

Low-cost, flexible and portable, the Play Pod is a modular, adaptable structure that can be manipulated to suit the needs of users, and easily relocated to activate passive and vacant areas. On the surface it’s all fun and games, however the Play Pod promotes ‘play with purpose’; designed to increase the social value of a space by providing an adaptable platform for use, day and night.

Scott Carver and Hoyne have partnered with Property NSW, who share a passion for connecting people and place, to locate the Play Pod at the southern end of the Goods Line for the next nine days. The ever-changing venue will be adopting many forms to host a diverse collection of events designed to inspire and excite a range of audiences including children and families, students and adults.

Located at the southern end of The Goods Line for the next ten days, the ever-changing venue will be adopting many forms to host a diverse collection of events designed to inspire and excite a range of audiences including children and families, students and adults.

Andrew Hoyne, Principal and Founder, Hoyne said, “Sydney’s an incredible city, but like all complex urban centres, there are a multitude of spaces which hold so much untapped potential. We want to activate these spaces to engage the community.”

“The Play Pod is an example of a nimble, small scale, low-budget idea to turn tricky, vacant city spots into inviting and stimulating spaces. It can be easily adopted by Councils and developers who are trying to do just that in cites across Australia,” he added.

Angela Biddle, Principal of Interior Design, Scott Carver said, “The dynamic and community focused Play Pod aims to inspire the local community’s curiosity, and encourage personal connections through its agile, yet simple design.”

Sarah Davis, Senior Associate, Project Leader, Scott Carver said, “In creating a multi-purpose concept, imagination is the only limit to what can be done with the Play Pod – it can work for all age groups, at all times of the day.”

From Friday 2nd to Sunday 11th March during the Sydney Design Festival the Play Pod will be hosting three creative sessions a day. Morning sessions, designed for children and families, include a theatre inspired playgroup from Monkey Baa Theatre, and a Great Book Swap held in support of The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. The Children’s Book Council of Australia will be running a handful of morning and lunchtime events encouraging children’s literacy, a love of reading and learning through storytelling.

Afternoon sessions will include a series of activations presented in partnership with University of Technology Sydney students and Professors, and during the evenings The Play Pod will be transformed into Sydney’s smallest cinema showing a series of short films. 

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