Tourism & Leisure
Dark Skies
Client
Tandem Design
Duration
20 Weeks
Services
Overview
We were involved with this prestigious project from concept stage, working closely with Tandem Design and Paul Hogarth Company, develop of a natural amphitheater to provide a viewing platform for the AV show at the new visitor center in Davagh Forest, one of only three true “dark sky” locations in Ireland.
What We Did
Works were split into two distinct zones. In the Play area we used Sperrin boulders to construct natural stone walls with inset oak seating. We laid 300sqm of Whinstone paving and installed play equipment with the constellations incorporated into the roof of the dome.
In the Viewing Gallery, we inset ambient lighting to allow safe access after dark for visitors to view the light show; installed the projectors, and set out pathways. We also created a hard landscaped area and car parking and installed interpretive and panels and inlaid typographic and illustrative elements into bench seating, paving, and lectern-style interpretive panels.
Key Detail
The external spaces blend seamlessly with the surrounding forest. We extensively used local products to complement the natural wood and scrubland both in construction and in reinstatement.
