The innovative design by Wraight Athfield Landscape and Architecture Ltd was selected by Wellington City Council’s Waterfront Development Sub-committee through a competition in 2003, and passed on to Wellington Waterfront Ltd to implement.

Other members of the project team included: Spencer Holmes (engineers), Maltby (quantity surveyors), Tonkin and Taylor (coastal engineers), Ecological Engineering (as specialist engineers for the wetland), the Government Architects Office from New South Wales (assisting with landscape architecture) and Boffa Miskell Ltd (planning consultants).

The Wellington City Council and Wellington Waterfront wanted a contemporary, dynamic urban park that recognised the history, ecology and culture of the area and linked the city and sea.

And the challenge for the designers has been to create a park that’s fun, stimulating, safe, able to be used in all weathers and flexible enough to meet the wide and varied needs of its users.