7 April 2008

Wellington waterfront developments scooped the prize pool at the prestigious New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards Dinner held in Auckland last Saturday evening.   Awarded only every two years, the waterfront’s Kumutoto Public Space took out the top prize of the evening, the George Malcolm Supreme Award for Landscape Design – Urban Design.  Waitangi Park also featured on the awards podium winning the Sustainability Award of Excellence.

The Award Citation for Kumutoto reads (in part):

“The Kumutoto development maintained unflinching emphasis on reconnecting the CBD with its waterfront by throwing open the old wharf gates on Customhouse Quay and insisting on the installation of new pedestrian crossings to facilitate access to the two new plaza that are the project’s key spaces.  Kumutoto Plaza focuses on the symbolically ‘declaimed’ Kumutoto Stream mouth, while Wharf Plaza literally extends the city to the sea with a new wharf extension at the end of the newly-formed plaza.

Although unashamedly contemporary in its aesthetic, it achieves an almost seamless integration with the historic waterfront.  At the same time, the spaces are a perfect fit with the character of the new Meridian building that forms the critical edge to both plaza, and to the colonnade along its seaward side.

The Kumototo project does not demand attention.  Rather, it is one of those landscape and urban design developments whose excellence lies precisely in the fact that they are ‘just right’.”

Chief Executive of Wellington Waterfront Limited, Ian Pike, says “The design requirements for this area of the waterfront were complex – providing a sympathetic interface with existing heritage buildings and the new Meridian Energy building, ensuring an optimum mix of sun, shade and shelter, pedestrian and vehicle interface issues, the need to improve pedestrian links between the waterfront and the city, designing a suite of furniture and landscaping treatments that reflected the maritime history of the area, providing gathering places for people and allowing them to interact with the harbour – to mention just a few.”

“Wellingtonians began using these spaces the moment they were opened up, which is testimony to the skills of the design team which has been formally recognised through this award” added Pike.   “Congratulations are due to Isthmus Group and Studio of Pacific Architecture for their stunning landscape design, Beca for civil and structural engineering, and construction company Brian Perry Civil who turned these plans into a reality.”

Mayor Kerry Prendergast who attended the dinner said “This team has turned that famous Joni Mitchell lyric ‘they paved paradise and put up a parking lot’ well and truly on its head.  What was once a barren windswept car park is now a fantastic mix of public spaces and built developments.”

While Wellington Waterfront projects took out the top prizes, a number of other Wellington based developments also featured in the awards ceremony; CentrePort Area A won a Gold Award for Urban Design and the Mt Victoria Redevelopment took out a Bronze Award for Urban Design.

“Of course all this has not come about by chance, but rather through extensive rounds of public consultation, robust planning and strict adherence to urban design protocols.   The success of this formula is further evidenced by the sheer number of Wellington projects nominated in tonight’s awards – we seem to be setting the standards in exemplary urban and landscape design” added the Mayor.

ENDS...

Kumutoto Plaza

Kumutoto Tug Wharf

Kumutoto Wharf Plaza

Waitangi Park @ Night

Waitangi Park Field