Smart City Signage Infrastructure: Maroochydore City Centre

Smart city digital signage

The Context

Establishing a new greenfield CBD requires a bold departure from standard urban design. The Maroochydore City Centre is not just a commercial precinct but a benchmark for future-ready urbanism on the Sunshine Coast. The challenge was to move beyond generic street signage and deliver intelligent, interactive highly durable assets that reinforce the precinct’s place identity.

The Collaboration

POMO operated at the intersection of industrial design and digital utility to realise this vision. By collaborating closely with the project’s urban designers and the broader development team, we ensured the physical outputs aligned with the “Smart City” mandate. The project highlights the necessity of linking digital strategists with fabrication experts early in the process to prevent the common disconnect between digital ambition and physical feasibility.

Delivering Maroochydore City Centre: The Implementation Process

Our role focused on the rigorous design and fabrication required to merge sensitive electronics with monolithic construction materials. This was not merely about housing screens but creating fully integrated Creative Urban Infrastructure.

  • Complex Material Integration: We designed bespoke concrete structures to house giant digital displays. This required precise formwork and casting to ensure the heavy concrete aesthetic did not compromise the delicate tolerances needed for digital hardware.
  • Technical Specification & Resilience: The design prioritised “ruggedised” utility. We detailed vandal-proof casings and weather-resistant seals to protect high-value components from the coastal elements and heavy public use.
  • Smart City Systems Architecture: The internal engineering involved the seamless routing of digital audio, visual feeds and complex wiring looms. We ensured these systems were invisible to the user yet easily accessible for maintenance teams.
  • Durability & Safety: All elements were certified to meet strict safety standards. The structures were designed to withstand significant wind loads and physical impact while maintaining optimal operating temperatures for the embedded technology.

The Impact

The result is a suite of intelligent wayfinding assets that serve as the digital nervous system of the new CBD. These structures provide real-time data, directional guidance and civic information to the public. By treating these elements as bespoke creative infrastructure rather than off-the-shelf signage, the Maroochydore City Centre has established a distinct, forward-looking character that delivers measurable value to its daily users.

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