Leading architects a coup for waterfront competition

Some of the world’s best architects display their leading edge designs, for four proposed new buildings for Waitangi Park, from 4-21 October at Queens Wharf.

WWL Chief Executive Ian Pike says it’s a real coup for Wellington Waterfront Ltd to have secured such a high calibre of architects to compete to design buildings on the waterfront.

“We hope that these buildings will contribute to the transformation of Wellington’s waterfront into a place of architectural, cultural, entertainment and recreational renown.”

The designs will be exhibited at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Queens Wharf, from 4-9 October and then at the Waterfront Project Information Centre (Shed 6, Queens Wharf) for the remainder of the exhibition.

The exhibition will showcase the five shortlisted entries in the waterfront’s international competition in which architectural firms were invited to submit designs for the four new buildings.

The five architectural firms exhibiting are:

- Shin Takamatsu Architect and Associates Co Ltd – Kyoto, Japan

- UN Studio – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

- John Wardle Pty Ltd Architects – Melbourne, Australia

- Oosterhuis_Lenard – Rotterdam, The Netherlands

- Architecture Workshop Ltd/Kerstin Thompson Architects Joint Venture – Wellington, New Zealand/Melbourne, Australia

Mr Pike says the competition provides an opportunity to create something really special for the waterfront and the city. “Ultimately we want these buildings to be something that makes Wellington stand apart from other cities in New Zealand and the world – a real point of difference.”

The competition will be judged by a panel made up of architects Ian Athfield, Professor John Hunt and Chris McDonald, television and radio personality Maggie Barry, WWL Chair Fran Wilde and a representative from Te Papa. The panel will consider public feedback, along with the following criteria when making their decision:

- design excellence

- creativity and imagination – elevating the city’s reputation as a centre of creativity

- responsiveness to context – complementing and enhancing Waitangi Park, the waterfront promenade as well as the broader waterfront and city

- contribution to the critical debate on architecture and urbanism

- expression of contemporary culture

- functionality

- estimated costs and feasibility of design and construction and fit with the Wellington Waterfront Framework

Feedback forms will be provided at the exhibition.

“We hope as many people as possible will come down to see the designs and let us know what they think,” Mr Pike says.

Further information on the competition and the shortlisted architects is available online at www.wellingtonwaterfront.co.nz. Design images will be available online from Tuesday 4 October.

ENDS

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