Festival Plaza is Adelaide’s largest public realm project of recent times. A significant part of the Riverbank Precinct Masterplan, the new plaza stitches together Adelaide’s major events and entertainment precinct including the Adelaide Festival Centre, Sky City Casino, Adelaide Railway Station, Parliament as well as a new mixed-use retail and office tower. At approximately 2 hectares in size, the plaza’s design speaks to the modernist heritage of the Festival Centre, with an expansive events space of signature Australian stone paving fringed with shaded lawns and gardens. The water feature is a centrepiece, providing a playful, cooling element and year-round activation.

The project is a prime example of a collaborative process to deliver a complex public space that transforms the liveability of this festival city. Driven by a clear vision that celebrates the festival centre leitmotifs, followed by a rigorous documentation and delivery process, the team navigated the project to allow many stakeholders to embrace and feel ownership of the well-crafted outcome.