HENGE installations are aiming to create "safe and vibrant" spaces across Newcastle through a combinations of art, sounds and augmented reality.
The City of Newcastle Henges are part of the council's Night Spaces program, an "exercise in the concept that the more people in a space, the safer it will be".
Having identified three locations in the city with a "higher-than-average" rate of anti-social behaviour, the council commissioned Gateshead company Design Anthology to create installations which lit up the spaces and attracted people.
"Rather than putting up security camera the aim was to activate the sites by bringing people in through art and innovation," Design Anthology's Josh Jeffres said. "Ownership is about attracting communities to the space to encourage so they take pride in it and won't tolerate antisocial behaviour."
The first Henges were installed in Kuwami Place in December 2021 and the Market Street and Pacific Park projects were completed in April this year, with locations to be reviewed in early 2023.
Design Anthology were part of the process from design to installation. While there were challenges sourcing products due to the pandemic, Mr Jeffres said sustainability was always front-of-mind.
The Henges can operate off-grid on a solar battery and the structure uses a combination of traditional and "green" concrete, made from fly-ash.
They feature local pieces from the Newcastle Art Gallery (NAG) collection which, when used in tandem with the City of Newcastle application, come to life through augmented reality.
A City of Newcastle spokesperson said the Henges provide an opportunity for the community to interact with NAG's collection while the gallery is closed.
"They include interactive elements and an augmented reality feature to provide information about the artworks on display," the spokesperson said. "The aim of the [project] is to provide interactive night-time attractions to activate and illuminate public spaces across the city.
"They have attracted interest from the public with passers by stopping to interact with the technology and viewing artworks, achieving the desired outcome of increased activity and the flow on effect of improved public safety."
The project also collaborated with a music producer to create an "immersive audio experience" as well as incorporating the University of Newcastle's smart city technology.
"It was an amazing project of collaboration and innovation and I need to give credit to Newcastle council for being a sort of leader in the activation space," Mr Jeffres said.
The project is jointly funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, as part of the Community Safety Fund. The fund provides up to $250,000 for projects which address local crime hot spots and promote safer and inclusive use of public spaces.
