New Routes, Springburn
Floor patterns create a playful wayfinding approach, 2019
Project Summary:
Strategy
Engagement
Design
Fabrication Drawings
Project management
Installation
Working in collaboration with erz Landscape architects ‘New Routes’ creates wayfinding routes from the local primary school and high traffic areas to the nearby nature found within Springburn Park and the now derelict Winter Gardens.
Our chosen site is a pathway that connects the main road to the park with several alcoves and railings that divide and shape the space.
The path provides an opportunity to create a playful and fun journey to the park. We created a pattern that moves with the flow of the existing streetscape, encouraging children to create games with the elements of artwork scattered along the route.
The patterns will create an unconventional course and encourage children to use their imagination to interact with the various shapes and colours on the railings and floor pattern.
Working with a specialist contractor the floor patterns are heat applied to provide high cracking resistance, long term colour stability and meet the required levels of skid resistance. The colours are based on organic pigments without any content of heavy metals.
The pattern itself was inspired by the former Springburn Winter Gardens, looking at the plants that would have been found in the gardens and the structure of the glasshouse.
The plants were of tropical and exotic species with a focus on palms and other leafy plants. Their smooth natural shapes contrasted beautifully with the rigid geometry of the glasshouse structure.
We worked with pupils from Elmvale Primary school to explore these themes through creative workshops.
erz have made the final shortlist for the Pro Landscaper’s small project BIG IMPACT awards 2020 in the Special feature under £20,000 category for the New Routes project. We are delighted to have contributed to the success of the project through our playful wayfinding intervention.
Photography by Ross Campbell and McAteer.