Public art to admire and climb on!
This large steel-reinforced concrete sculpture is in the park at Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshores. The sculpture’s basic shape was inspired by a whale vertebra. Its abstract curves reflect shapes from local surroundings – clouds, reefs and views.
The sculpture was designed by artist John Van der Kolk for Coffs Harbour Council’s public art collection and was made and installed by Natureworks. The sculpture was designed for children to play on, so it was installed with a soft surround play surface. You can see the sculpture if you visit Coffs Harbour, and read the artist’s statement about Cloud Reef here.
Photo gallery
Scale model 
Sketch and prototypes 
Steel substructure 
Mould in production 
Fibreglass sculpture 
Front view of the sculpture
Design features
- Built to suit playground specifications for climbing on
- Imaginative, non-traditional abstract design
- Installed with soft surround
Project details
| Client: | John Van der Kolk (artist), for Coffs Harbour City Council Public Art Collection |
| Location: | 38 Marina Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2540, Australia |
| Date: | 2017 |
| Related products: | Playground theming, Artificial rockwork, Big things |
| Related catalogues: | Playground theming catalogue, Natureworks overview brochure |
| Similar projects: | Hunter Valley Gardens Storybook sculptures, Keppel Kraken aquatic playspace |
Encouraging imaginative, nature-based play
With our incredible range of animal sculptures, artificial trees and artificial rocks we can create all sorts of themed internal or external play spaces.
Please contact Natureworks to discuss custom projects.