For this major upgrade to the grounds of Blackfriars Priory School, in Adelaide, SPARK designed a new suite of furniture, called Arena. Utilising High Density Polyethylene (HPDE) sheet material for the surfaces of the furniture suite, the effect is a sophisticated range of tables, benches and seats all with the soft feel and look of HPDE, contrasted by satin black powder coated frames.

Pill shaped picnic settings encourage a ‘gather around’ atmosphere, and soft shapes are carried through the various table and seating designs, to create an inviting and unified look across the project.

Custom timber clad platform decks provide additional seating around the campus. Laser cut symbols in the stainless steel skirting derive from the shield of the Dominican order, referencing the history and background of the school. The gold star represents the light that St. Dominic brought into the world through his sermons. The ornate cross represents the Spanish Military, in which some of St Dominic’s family members served. The bishop’s ‘mitre’, or headdress, represents the school’s patron saint, Saint Albert the Great.