Stonewell Common Reserve
A castle now stands at Stonewell Common Reserve, inviting young adventurers to climb the tower, watch over the kingdom and create stories of their own. Delivered by Moduplay for the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, the locally inspired playground is centred around a configured Folly Adventure unit.
Project Overview
- Project Type
- Council & Government
- Budget (Equipment Only)
- $70,000 – $80,000
- Date Built
- 2025
A playground grounded in local history
The brief called for a playground that felt specific to its setting. Research into the area uncovered the nearby Yatala Guard Towers, built in 1870 to oversee prisoners working in the quarry across Dry Creek from Yatala.
This distinctive part of the area’s history became the inspiration for the playground theme. The form of the historic guard towers has been reimagined through the castle-like silhouette of the Folly, giving the playground a strong local identity and an immediate sense of adventure.
Researching the reserve led me straight to the 1870s guard towers overlooking the quarry. Reimagining them as a castle tower means every child who climbs it is playing inside a real piece of local history. That kind of connection to place is what turns a playground into somewhere a community feels genuinely proud of.
Bronwyn, Project Designer
A configured Adventure unit with wow factor
The Folly Adventure unit provided the ideal foundation for the design. Its tower form and layered play opportunities naturally support the historical theme, while its bold silhouette gives the playground a clear visual presence.
Through carefully selected colours, details and additional supporting elements, the configured unit has been given an identity unique to Stonewell Common Reserve. The result demonstrates how a themed Adventure unit can achieve a highly site-specific outcome while retaining the efficiencies of a configured design.
Working with an existing footprint
Working within the existing playground footprint required every element to earn its place. The Folly remains the hero, with complementary equipment arranged around it to create a broader mix of play experiences.
An Accessible Spinner introduces movement and shared play, while puzzle panels add interactive challenges and quieter moments of discovery. Together, these features create more choice within the compact space without competing with the central tower.
Stonewell Common Reserve now has a playground with genuine local character. Its strong theme, recognisable tower form and varied play opportunities turn an existing footprint into a memorable destination created specifically for the City of Port Adelaide Enfield community.
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