– Accoya specified for stunning outdoor playground at Austrian Swarovski experience
– Accoya fulfilled the requirement for a highly durable and eco-friendly product
– A non-toxic wood, Accoya is well suited for high impact areas used by children
Accoya®, the world leading modified wood, is being used to construct an outdoor playground at Swarovski Crystal Worlds in eastern Austria.
Accoya has been used for the playground’s tower, outdoor play park and connecting bridge at the Swarovski themed shopping, dining and recreational complex located in Tirol, Austria.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds was opened in 1995 to mark the centennial anniversary of the crystal company’s founding. In April 2015, designers wanted to extend the park to include an outdoor playground and giant tower for children, and specified Accoya as the material of choice.
Distributed by Mawaco, approximately 30m3 of Accoya was supplied to build a tower and playground, as well as the decking for a bridge, which connects the two areas.
Accoya was selected over alternative timber products as it met the designer’s requirements for a sustainable durable wood, which would retain its dimensional properties when exposed to changeable climates. Importantly, the designers were keen to use a product that was non-toxic and safe to use around children. Accoya’s barefoot friendly credentials made it a perfect solution.
The Crystal Worlds outdoor playground was designed to reflect the high quality and visually striking attributes of the Swarovski brand. The architects were impressed with Accoya’s exceptional quality and its aesthetic appearance making it the perfect material to reflect Swarovski brand.
Friedrich Suppan at Heckenblaickner who supplied the Accoya decking for the project said: “We specified Accoya for this project as it met with our key objective – that this project should have very little impact on the environment. By using Accoya we have created a strong, superior decking which is also barefoot friendly – a must-have when designing space for young children.”
Accoya is renowned for its atheistic qualities and structural integrity in a range of different weather conditions. Uncoated, the Accoya at Swarovski will grey naturally over time – a design element popular amongst architects.
Marc Michels Marketing Director at Solvay Acetow said: “Accoya is consistently specified for the highest-quality construction projects throughout Austria, and the Swarovski playground is a great example of why Accoya outshines its competitors.”