Children’s museum spaces

KID’S ISLAND is a highly successful interactive space for children and babies under 5 years old, and their parents and carers, located at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Along with a small team of specialists and consultants, I was involved at concept and research stage through to design, documentation and installation management. We conceived the space as a notional island comprising themes loosely exploring nature, air, sea and home life. To this end, I designed a ship-wreck, an enchanted forest, a hot-air balloon, a cubby house (with a mix of culturally diverse domestic play objects) and a bird’s nest for baby visitors.

MORE THAN DINOSAURS - a permanent Paleontology Hall in Sydney includes a specialized space where young children can crawl into a rock pool, activate ammonites and other deep sea creatures of the past and view themselves as scary fish.

Both designs had to include stringent safety requirements (including ‘soft-fall’ flooring) and an abundance of activities, level changes, moveable objects, ‘journeys’ and countless surprises. The spaces also included specific effect lighting and evocative audio.