The Nest playground at Downtown Cary Park features two enormous cardinal sculptures that immediately capture children’s attention. The male and female cardinals are the most striking visual feature of the park and the Nest playground.
The seven-acre site of Downtown Park in Cary, North Carolina is filled with beautiful, tall pine trees. The site provided the early inspiration for playground concepts. Initial ideas reflected forest imagery, especially native flora and fauna. Early on, a bold red bird emerged as the preferred playground sculpture concept. While other ideas were explored, a sketch of two alert cardinals (the state bird of North Carolina), perched among branches and overlooking the park, was the overwhelming favorite. It was selected in the final stages of design with OJB Landscape Architecture and the Town of Cary.
A complex scramble of net and log play surround the male and female cardinals in the Nest playground. Kids can climb up the tail feathers or across the branch-like beams to go inside the birds. The interior experience of each bird is different. Angled ropes are attached to a central column, simulating the experience of climbing a pine tree. Grab boards on an accessible flexform ramp will help children with physical challenges to navigate inside the birds. There are multiple points of entry and exit, including a large stainless steel tube side.
The cardinals sit adjacent to a large pedestrian bridge so children will have a literal ‘birds eye view’ as they look out through the birds’ pupils at passers-by. Interior lighting give the birds a strong and striking presence as the sky darkens. Even as night falls, children will still be able to enjoy the playground safely and the illuminated birds will add to the evening experience of the entire park.
Two other Earthscape playgrounds are situated nearby: at Bond Park in Cary, and in Wakeforest, at E. Carroll Joyner Park.