National Museum of Australia
Discovery Centre
Custom barrier nets, walk-on nets, and cargo nets designed and installed for the National Museum of Australia’s Discovery Centre. A collaborative process delivering safe, compliant, and highly crafted netting solutions.
National Museum of Australia, Discovery Centre
Bespoke worked with designcraft projects to design and install multiple custom nets for the Discovery Centre at the National Museum of Australia. The project included barrier nets, a walk-on net, and three hand-spliced cargo nets, balancing regulatory compliance with bespoke craftsmanship.
Location: Canberra, ACT
Completion Date: March 2022
Client: designcraft projects
Our Scope
Bespoke were engaged to assist with the design and installation of several netting systems for the new Discovery Centre. The scope included barrier nets, a walk-on net, and three cargo/climbing nets.
We collaborated through multiple workshops with the builder, engineer, playground auditor, and fabricators to resolve the design, ensuring all requirements were met. This review process addressed playground standards, structural suitability, fixing methods, and material availability while maintaining the design intent.
The barrier and walk-on nets were fabricated from 5mm x 45mm black polypropylene and lashed to 40mm powder-coated steel tube. The cargo nets were hand-spliced by Bespoke’s skilled team using 12mm Hempex rope, a synthetic alternative to natural fibre that offers strength, UV stability, and abrasion resistance. Hand-splicing nets of this scale and complexity is a rare craft, requiring precision to shape obscure geometries, join nets seamlessly, and integrate them directly with the supporting structure.
The nets were installed to:
Provide safe barrier protection compliant with playground regulations
Create a trafficable walk-on feature within the Discovery Centre
Deliver climbing and cargo nets for interactive use
Showcase traditional hand-splicing skills within a modern museum setting
This project highlights Bespoke’s ability to deliver compliant, functional, and highly crafted netting solutions for public spaces.
