Blue Sky the Outer-T Ideas Competition

The criteria the judges used were drawn from the principles and objectives of the Wellington Waterfront Framework particularly relating to the Outer-T. 

The judges selected six entries as their winning ideas – they felt that these six offered the most to the process of creatively imaging the future of the Outer-T.  The entries fell into three broad areas: 

• Well thought-through, comprehensive ideas for the Outer-T and its wider Queens Wharf setting;
• Specific ideas for use, events or places that could fit well within a wider strategy for the Outer-T and its setting; and
• Ideas - more abstract in nature – that, nevertheless, had something to say to them about the spirit of the Outer-T and its potential.

Throughout the judging process a number of themes kept reoccurring for the judges. They summed these up as follows:

• The importance of acknowledging the maritime setting;
• Balancing the qualities of continuity and change;
• The importance of the physical place and the life it contains – the importance of both “stage” AND “performance”; and
• The nature of what would attract people to the Outer-T, keep them there and keep them coming back. This theme was informed in the judges’ minds by the slightly difficult physical nature of the Outer-T in “people attraction” terms, being - in essence - a large cul de sac, which, once arrived at, forces its visitors to retrace their steps.

While there were other themes as well as these, these were the ones the judges kept revisiting – prompted by the entries themselves. 

Where to from here?

All the competition entries will help Wellington Waterfront understand how Wellingtonians would like to see the Outer-T used.

One or more of the winning ideas may be further explored with the entrants, and will be used in the next phase in the development of the master plan for the Queens Wharf.

Wellington Waterfront Ltd. will then seek support for the plan from the Wellington City Council.

In the meantime Wellington Waterfront will be continuing to review the entries and the themes the competition has revealed and use them to shape their thinking going forward.

Wellington Waterfront Ltd is very grateful for the time and effort put in by all the entrants.