Northern Territory Sites
ALICE SPRINGS DESERT PARK
introduction / 1996 award / 1998 award
Extract from Landscape Australia 1/1999, p7-8
1998 PROJECT AWARD IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
DESIGN – PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
awarded to: Green and Dale Associates
Project Name: Alice Springs Desert Park - Habitat and Exhibit design - Stage 1
Brief Citation: This park challenges the notion that the red heart of Australia is a place of death rather than life. Developing from an initial prize-winning master plan that sited the Desert Park in a spectacular, even iconic setting, the design of this first stage of the interpretative 'garden' realises the underlying potential of the dramatic landscape and helps reveal the desert's mysteries.
park site, the foothills of Mt Gillen, 4km west of Alice Springs
The Alice Springs Desert Park is exceptional in its combination of zoological, botanic and ethnobiographical interpretation. It presents a unique facility incorporating the integration of botanical and zoological elements into habitats, and linking these with Aboriginal culture.
The design for the Alice Springs Desert Park presents the life of Central Australia's deserts via a 'Habitat Immersion' concept. Visitors experience the habitats of the Park through a series of 'Habitat Scenarios'. Each of the habitats reflects messages and themes of the Desert Zones, in displays of plants, fauna, ethnobiological elements and landform.
It was important that the Park should project an overall presence of a living display and not a series of static or "menagerie" displays of animals and plants alike.
An essential theme of the Park and its exhibit habitats is the nature of this ancient land mass, which is seen by many as the "dead heart". In fact, the deserts of the Centre are diverse and rich.
Project Summary
The Design Concept is one developed to present and interpret the intriguing life of Australia's deserts. The habitats of Stage One, including woodland, sand dune and sand plain, clay / salt pans and riverine habitat, involved
- the research of habitats and themes,
- detailed analysis of the site in order to mesh the proposed habitats with the land type and habitat of the site itself.
- development of preliminary storyline concept
- the design of interpretation medium
- Design of structures including aviaries and visitor shelters,
- and the detail design of pathway systems that link visitor experience and interpretive objectives of the habitats with projected visitor profiles and visit scenarios.
view across sand country and woodland habitats prior to construction,
showing infestation of 'Buffel Grass' (exotic pasture grass)
Visitor Experience
The visitor experience was planned to provide opportunities for differing visitor profiles. Short term visitors may choose an overview of the habitats via the primary pathway to maximise their experience of the desert habitats, while others can further their experience by following the habitat loop pathways for a more developed interpretive encounter with the botanical and wildlife habitats and links with Aboriginal culture.
The Primary Path
Provides an introduction to each of the habitats and the key habitat messages. Orientation shelters are located on the primary path at the start of each habitat for this purpose.
- Provides key vantage points, most with seating to view the MacDonnell Ranges and Mt Gillen.
recreated salt, gypsum and clay pan habitats were established
by manipulating natural evaporation, creating established 'pans'
Habitat Loop Paths
- Provide a developed storyline to each of the habitats and the key habitat messages. While immersed in the vegetation and landform of each habitat, with the opportunity for encounters with free-ranging wildlife, the visitor can encounter the animals and birds of that specific habitat type at aviaries incorporated into the habitats. Self-guide kits, specialist guide tours as well as other unobtrusive mediums for interpretation provide varied opportunities for enquiry and discovery.
The principal achievement of the Alice Springs Desert Park as a work of landscape architecture is the achievement of a ‘seamless' mesh between habitat design, visitor facilities, interpretation/visitor experience and the natural landscape of the site. The success of the project recognises the lead role of the landscape architects in interpretation led programmes in the developing field of interpretive, education based recreation.
Project Background
Green and Dale were appointed in March 1995 by the Conservation Commission Northern Territory to provide consulting services in the design of natural habitats and extensive plant and animal exhibits as a central aspect of the Desert Wildlife Park and Botanic Gardens in Alice Springs. As part of the scope of works the design team worked on site in Alice Springs with CCNT in-house earth scientists, ecologists, botanists and native animal specialists.
Following completion of the design stage, Green & Dale Associates were reappointed to undertake detailed documentation and implementation works for the Stage One Habitats, work commencing in October 1995 and construction completed by June 1996.
The overall budget set by PWCNT for the Habitat project, which included all physical components such as site grading, earthworks and habitat landscaping, was $1,500,000. The works were undertaken by Project Builder, Barclay Mowlem Constructions.
Stage One - Design
Project Team
Stuart Green: Project Leader/Design
Pru Sanderson: Kinhill Interpretation
Gregory Burgess Architects:Architecture
Leo Oosterwegel: Zoological Planning Overview
Kevin Hoult: CCNT
Peter Hay: CCNT Landscape Architect
Alan Ginns CCNT Park Planner
Peter Latz: Division of Wildlife & Ecology
Dave Gibson: CCNT Earth Science
Stage Two - Construction
Stuart Green: Project Leader/Design
Site Supervision
Peter Hay PWCNT
Kevin Hoult PWCNT
P.J. Yttrup & Associates: Structural Engineers
John Van Leeuwen: Irrigation
Acer Vaughan: Consulting Engineers
Client: Northern Territory Government
Consultants: Green & Dale
introduction / 1996 award / 1998 award
