Case Study:
Yorkshire Air Museum
- Installation Date: July 2023
- Project Type: Design & Build
Project Brief
Located on the outskirts of York,The Yorkshire Air Museum is one of the UKs largest independent aircraft museums.
Families make up a large proportion of visitor numbers and the team at The Yorkshire Air Museum recognised they needed to create a new, inviting destination play area to provide a suitable and fun environment for all who visit the site. Team Sport & Play Ltd were invited to submit their suggestions and ideas of how to create a new aviation themed destination play area for visiting children and families to enjoy. The museum were keen to create an inclusive and accessible play area that catered for children of all ages and abilities.
Project Outcome
The play equipment included would need to capture the essence of the Yorkshire Air Museum and be in-keeping and respectful to the listed Control Tower and other buildings on the site.
The design team at Team Sport & Play carried out a full market comparison of all available options and it soon became clear that, in order to honour the history of the museum, the play area would need a bespoke, focal centre-piece play structure to wow visitors on their arrival. The team set about designing a bespoke Spitfire Multiplay Unit with the aim to increase dwell time in the central area of the site.
The project posed certain challenges relating to the sites history and the constant flow of visitors. It soon became apparent that underground services had been installed without any records of location and depth. Team Sport & Play carried out numerous surveys and CAT scans resulting in the need to re-design the original proposal to ensure safety during installation and also allow necessary access to the services in the future.
The finished project has added immense value to the attraction, already increasing visitor numbers. The new playground facilities provide accessible and inclusive play opportunities for children of all ages and abilities. The bespoke Spitfire Multiplay Unit fits in perfectly within the surroundings and due to the materials and manufacturing specifications, will be enjoyed by children visiting the museum for many years to come.
“As a leisure attraction we wanted a vibrant and inviting theme to our new destination play area. Families with children make up a large proportion of our visitor numbers and we wanted to continue our heritage and theming in the new play area. Phil and the team at Team Sport and Play Ltd were excellent at understanding our brief and capturing these into their design complete with a bespoke ‘Spitfire’ Multi Play Unit’. The finished play area is perfectly in-fitting with the surroundings of Yorkshire Air Museum and will be a source of fun for children to play on for years to come. Many thanks to Phil and the team.”