Wednesday, 14 August, 2013

Sydenham Pod Park Opens

A vacant lot in the heart of Sydenham has been transformed into a stylish new park thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Christchurch City Council, consultancy Beca, Sydenham Quarter Inc, and local businesses.

Mayor Bob Parker will officially open The Sydenham Pod Park on the corner of Colombo and Wordsworth Streets at 1 pm on Friday 16 August.

Beca staff project managed construction, as well as helping prepare and plant the park which is based on Beca’s supreme award-winning garden in the 2012 Ellerslie Flower Show.

The design was modified to capture the history and character of Sydenham with flax and wetland plants reflecting the previously swampy nature of the area. Pallet boardwalks represent the grid layout of streets that formed as the city grew.

The curved pipe-inspired shelter, steel columns and saw-tooth-shaped sculptures fit with Sydenham’s industrial mix of factories, warehouses and railway workshops.

A petanque court complements the putting green on a neighbouring Gap Filler site, providing entertainment for visitors as well as somewhere pleasant to sit and eat lunch.

Beca moved into Sydenham premises after being forced to quit a quake-damaged high rise in the CBD. The company’s technical director project management, Greg Rozen, said although Beca would eventually shift back to the central city, it wanted to contribute to its temporary host community.

“When we move on we want to leave something positive behind, rather than just an empty office block. In the meantime there are 280 people in our building, so they’re going to benefit from the park and the rest of Sydenham will too.”

At least a dozen local businesses donated labour and materials for the project. Sydenham Quarter Inc chairman Anthony Barker said the joint venture had engendered a real sense of community spirit. His organisation was also very grateful to the landowners, the Bell Family Estate, for allowing the use of their property.

“Without their agreement we’d have nothing. We hope this initiative will inspire other landowners along Colombo Street to rebuild or allow other temporary developments on empty sections.”

Mayor Bob Parker said the Council’s contribution of materials, plants and consenting costs came from its Suburban Centres Transitional Budget which has been a vital resource in the post-quake environment.

“Projects like the Sydenham Pod Park are a creative way of breathing new life into suburban commercial areas hard hit in the earthquakes. It’s been a very successful collaboration involving Council, local businesses and land owners which delivers another positive step forward for an increasingly vibrant community.”

ENDS

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