A WHISPER CAST IN CONCRETE

Gracing the site of the newly redeveloped Commonwealth Games Athlete’s Village, the Whisper Seats are part art, part furniture.

Rapidly becoming one of Australia’s most liveable neighbourhoods, the Smith Collective is a vibrant residential and retail precinct located at the site of the 2018 Commonwealth Games Athletes Village on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Billed as one of the country’s first build-to-rent communities, the complex is comprised of 18 apartment buildings and 82 double-storey townhouses, offered solely for long-term rent. At its heart, a retail and dining hub stands backed by open greenspace and recreation parkland offering plenty of outdoor amenity for residents. In one of these public spaces built by The Landscape Construction Company (TLCC), stand the Whisper Seats.

A standout feature in an urban leisure space, the Whisper Seats are interactive park furniture manufactured, cast and finished by Benzini Precast Concrete. Set facing each other approximately 30 metres apart, the Whisper Seats are acoustically engineered to amplify sound waves coming from a whispered voice sitting in one of the seats — using a parabola-shaped curve to redirect and amplify sound into the ear of the person sitting opposite them.

Each unit is made up of a front block that forms the seat, with the parabola-shaped curved structure behind it. The back section, which is a maze of sophisticated angles in triangular formation, acts as a stabiliser and anchor support.

The precise geometry of the cast moulds is what makes the Whisper Seats unique, providing an interactive art element in the public space, while also supplying visitors a relaxing place to sit.

Specialists in precast concrete, Benzini has been Australia’s premier manufacturer of handcrafted stone and concrete products for over 25 years. No stranger to supplying custom precast products for landscapers, contractors and developers on commercial and civil jobs across the country, Benzini, as a leading player in the precast arena, was a natural choice for the Games Village project.

Manufactured and honed inhouse, the Benzinin design and construct team were able to employ their unparalleled attention to detail to achieve the exact arch and dimensions required to make the Whisper Seats work. The polished concrete finish and natural hue of the pieces give them an imposing and industrial aura that is complementary to the natural landscape and visually appealing to visitors.

A unique statement for a unique development, the Whisper Seats are an iconic addition to the area. With trends showing people are increasingly willing to forgo homeownership in favour of the quality of lifestyle and location offered by precincts such as this, according to Michael Woodrow, executive director of UBS Asset Management, construction of appealing public spaces can only be considered an asset to developments such as the Smith Collective.

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PROJECT PARTICULARS
Client The Landscape Construction Company (TLCC)
Location Southport, Queensland
Contractor The Landscape Construction Company (TLCC)
Precast Product Supply Benzini Precast Concrete
Photography Glenn Weiss

COMPANY
Benzini Precast Concrete