Bespoke Play Equipment at Mayfield, Manchester
Challenge
Massey and Harris were thrilled to be appointed as the design and manufacturer of the play equipment for the brand new park in Mayfield, Manchester. Being a Manchester based company and knowing it was a project that was at the heart of the city, we knew it had to be something special. The challenge was combining the rich industrial history of Mayfield whilst providing play value for a vast range of children. Mayfield Park is Manchester’s first city centre public park and the new park spans 6.5 acres, and boasts a 1,400 square foot play space. One of the more complex areas of the project was creating a slide over the newly uncovered river. It was important to show off this rediscovered piece of history and put our Massey and Harris spin on it.
Solution
The project was a real team effort which lasted over 3 years. Not only were there numerous complex design challenges to overcome to create the 10 metre high play towers there were also complex manufacturing elements that our welders had to manage. The design process started with an initial site visit and concept sketches, through to 3D modelling and design for manufacture. 3D modelling is where you can see a project begin to come to life, it gives you a better understanding of scale and allows the designers to assess the feasibility of certain elements. Accessibility was something we felt was important within the project, so that all children would feel welcome at Mayfield. Massey and Harris designed a specific access ramp to allow wheelchair users access directly into one of the play towers and to allow them to use a specially designed accessible slide. If your would like to know more about the design process head over to our Instagram page to see the project unfold.
Result
The final design and installation of Mayfield has a fusion of industrial elements such as I-beams used on the swings with a combination of natural elements, such as robinia used for parts of the trim trail. The rich blue powder coating on the towers make them stand out and give the overall aesthetic a modern and sleek look. At Massey and Harris we believe it’s important to help children develop their gross motor skills and the challenging elements at Mayfield really make this possible. There’s a number of high towers and big slides as well as play units for younger ones to enjoy. There’s elements such as talk tubes and crawl tunnels as well for break out play opportunites. Some of our favourite pieces of equipment from Mayfield include; the crazy climber into one of the towers, the seesaw with an industrial twist and the wheelchair accessible roundabout inspired by cotton mill drums. Check out the pictures below to see more of Mayfield!
If you haven’t already go and check it out!
Mayfield Park can be accessed from dawn to dusk throughout the year, and can be accessed from Hoyle Street at the east of the park, or Baring Street at the west of the park.
