Tan Track Clocks

City of Melbourne’s City Design studio led the clocks’ re-design, whereby several improvements were achieved:
- Integrated LED panels allow for the animated display of information. The result is a dynamic, engaging and inclusive scoreboard with changing displays of para-athlete’s, women’s and men’s times, giving more visibility to each category.
- The process of updating ”best times” was streamlined by using a cloud-based system to load video animations onto the clock screens. This approach saves time and reduces costs and resources with each update compared to the previous method of using vinyl wraps.
- The monolithic streamlined design allows the clocks to stand as markers in their context.
- The subdued materials palette respects and integrates the design with the surrounding natural environment.

At 4.3m tall, the clocks are monolithic forms that satisfy functional considerations of prominence, legibility, low maintenance and response to heritage. The verticality of the clocks evokes a sense of dynamism, taking inspiration from track and field sports.

The clocks have been designed for usability. Each clock features front and rear LED screens, enabling scrolling para-athlete, women’s and men’s times to be read by people travelling the Tan in either direction.

Robust and restrained materials were chosen for longevity, low maintenance and response to context. Stainless steel, bluestone and concealed fixings have come together in a seamless design that is robust, site specific and low maintenance. LED technology was utilised to improve the display of information, with the added ability to update the scoreboard remotely, saving time, money and resources.

An animated running figure helps to communicate the purpose of the clocks to people of all ages, cultures and languages. It has been simply executed, so as to not detract from the experience of being in nature, and to not add load to neurodiverse audiences.

The design includes light sensors that automatically adjust screen brightness in response to ambient lighting, and having respect for nocturnal fauna, including insects. The lights dim to minimum levels at night time.

The improved functionality and amenity of the new clocks helps to ensure the much-loved Tan Track remains a vibrant and inclusive attraction, resulting in wider economic benefits for the local community.

The Tan Track clocks are innovative for their layered approach to inclusion, material reuse, user experience, environment and maintenance.

The form of the clocks was required to be both visible to sponsors and community, and recessive to the surrounding nationally significant parklands. The resultant design stands proud in the landscape, while minimising overall impact to the natural environments in which it is located and from which it has been sourced.

While the clocks are unique in their composition, the materials palette of reused bluestone, recycled steel, repurposed concrete footings and LED screens aligns with municipal standards. This help to ensure that the clocks sit within the family of public realm furniture items that signal ’Melbourne’.

The inclusion of LED panels has significantly improved the user experience. The clocks are more dynamic - with a simple animation announcing their purpose and scoreboards helping to inspire future generations of recreational and elite runners. The are also easier to update and maintain - with lead times reduced from several weeks to a few days.

The panels can be colour customised for events and cultural celebrations to further foster a sense of inclusion for Melbourne’s diverse communities. Utilising a Fine Pixel Pitch LED Display outdoors is atypical for a not-for-profit community asset, with the former normally being reserved for revenue-generating purposes.

The clocks were designed for ease of maintenance, with removable panels and concealed screws also creating a seamless, minimal design.

The clocks have had a lasting positive impact on the community. Former and current Olympians attended the unveiling of the clocks, which was launched by the Bennelong Foundation and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne. The clocks provide a marker and practical encouragement for over two million visitors who walk, jog or run the iconic Melbourne Tan Track every year.

The design promotes inclusion by sharing the Top 10 leading times for para-athletes, women and men.
The clocks identify Traditional Owners and promote Connection to Country. The use of LED technology has improved data update processes, getting users closer to real-time results. It also allows for the dynamic display of times and animations in colours that can be customised to mark or celebrate culture events. Since their uneviling in March 2024, the clocks have received positive feedback from community, the media and Bennelong Foundation, ensuring that Melbourne’s famous Tan Track maintains its legacy as a premier destination for active recreation.