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bayswater marina proposal annabel standidge
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Onehunga Foreshore Project Architect: Isthmus Funded by Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board and the New Zealand Transport Agency
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proposal
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A proposal for the redevelopment of Onehunga’s foreshore is a project drawing many similarities to Bayswater Marina’s development. Auckland Council is undertaking a $28million reclamation project south of Highway 20 to mitigate the impact of the 1975 highways development. Onehunga has been a place of Maori settlement for many hundreds of years and a cultural meeting point between Maori and Pakeha. The local community has been seeking to re-connect with the sea for many years, which will become realised with a new pedestrian/cycle bridge access way. The concept behind the proposal is to restore the natural character of the coastal edge and will include restoration and enhancement of public access to and along the coastal edge, with a diversity of recreational experiences.
Toronto Central Waterfront Architect: West 8 and DTAH
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proposal
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The geometry of Toronto Central Waterfront’s ‘wavedeck’ is carefully conceived of playful curves that are constantly changing to create ledges for seating and new routes to access the water’s edge. It allows for different vantage points and therefore different experiences with both the city and lake. This is relevant for Bayswater marina as there is currently a distinct loss in connection to the waterline. Connectivity between the vitality of the city and the lake, and a continuous, publicly accessible waterfront were the plan’s priorities where people gain different experiences with each visit.
Te Raukura Te Wharewaka o Poneke Architect: Stuart Gardyne Te Kaitaka ‘The Cloak’ Architect: Fearon Hay
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proposal
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The bi-cultural relationship between Maori and Pakeha is a unique issue to New Zealand and there is limited architectural expression of this. Wellington’s Te Raukura Te Wharewaka o Poneke was inspired by the Killeen comb, though more significantly has been described as “being dressed like a human body in a korowai (cloak) of zinc panels.” A korowai bestows great mana and prestige on its wearer; appropriate for a bicultural watershed housing traditional canoes and waka. Similarly, Te Kaitaka (The Cloak) located near Auckland Airport, is inspired by a traditional Maori cloak. Taking the form of a distinctive woven mesh screen, the building is wrapped in a living green cladding, bringing together rich layering of material and texture to express cultural values.
Waitomo Caves Visitor’s Centre Architect: Architecture Workshop
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proposal
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The architecture of the new Waitomo Caves visitor’s centre emphasises a connection to the local stream and the flows of water running through the caves. The canopy and woven timber grid shell are aligned with the curve of the Waitomo stream although the structure itself refers to a hinaki or Maori eel trap. New Zealand’s architects have not yet abundantly produced an indigenous architecture which embodies a creative embrace of Maori and European values that can be truthfully recognised as New Zealand architecture. This issue is applicable to our site in Waitemata Harbour due to its abundant Maori history as a long time port and recreational zone.
L’Institut du Monde Arabe Architect: Jean Nouvel Polish Pavilion for Shanghai Expo 2010 Architect: WWAA Architects
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proposal
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Comparisons can be made to culturally inspired modern architecture overseas. L’Institut du Monde Arabe’s form follows the curvature of the road, which responds to the River Seine. The building was heavily influenced by the mashrabiyya, an intricate Arabic screening used for centuries in the Middle East to protect occupants from the sun and provide privacy. Likewise, traditional Polish folk-art cutouts inspired the Polish Pavilion for Shanghai Expo 2010. The building itself is made up of a series of slanting planes to suggest a folded sheet of paper. Both the architects incorporated traditional elements into modern designs that were evocative of their architectural history and culture.
Tjibaou Cultural Centre Architect: Renzo Piano
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proposal
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The significance of the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in New Caledonia is particularly applicable to our own society, as the indigenous Kanak culture has only recently been embraced as an inspiration for bicultural modern architecture. The cultural center is modeled after a traditional Kanak village, and the pavilions from Kanak huts. Traditional building techniques in conjunction with the resources of modern international architecture were blended seamlessly by Piano. He made sure to nestle the buildings in vegetation and connect the three village’s huts via trail, evoking a central path unique to the Kanak traditional habitat. Cultural diversity has resulted in an internationally distinctive architecture; something desirable due to our own unique Maori heritage.
Lafayette 148, Shantou Architect: Studio For Architecture Eco Pavilion 2011 Architect: MMX
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proposal
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The concept of an organic, interwoven architecture is engaging as it is suggestive of motion and transition. The knot, individually or collectively in the form of a net, basket or weaving, has been applied to architectural form and façade in the past. Lafayette 148, Shantou is reflective of this as the building façade articulates an elaborate, woven, silver women’s traditional headdress worn by the minority Miao culture. Similarly Eco Pavilion 2011, designed by MMX creates screens of varying densities that reconfigure the openness of the courtyard through the geometric use of ropes. The intervention encourages the visitor to move around the space and discover new fields, new sights and new perspectives.
Parnell Baths Architect: Auckland Council’s Architects Office? Funded by Auckland Council
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proposal
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Water focused recreational activity has always been abundant in New Zealand since we are a coastline nation. A natural progression may be to introduce recreational tourism due to its revenue earning potential. Salt-water public baths were introduced to Auckland in the 1880s which led to the popularity of sea swimming. Parnell baths was then Auckland’s first salt water baths in 1914. At 60m long it was, and still is, the largest salt-water pool in New Zealand. The outdoor seaside atmosphere has made the pools a landmark location and a popular summertime destination. Salt-water pools were once located in Bayswater but fell into disrepair, so it may be charming to reintroduce this concept to site.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel SkyPark Architect: Moshe Safdie – designer of Pool Ubud’s Hanging Gardens Hotel Architect: Popo Danes
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proposal
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There are relevant examples of water focused recreational tourism and activity that can be found overseas. In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands Hotel SkyPark boasts a 150m long infinity pool on the 57th floor overlooking the city skyline. Located on top of the world’s most expensive building (US$4.7billion), the SkyPark also contains a public observatory, jogging paths, gardens, restaurants and lounges. Another of the world’s most photogenic pools would be Ubud’s Hanging Gardens Hotel infinity pool. The organic, free form design, with its undulating curves, was designed to echo the lines of the steep, terraced rice paddies that are such an iconic feature of the Ubud landscape.
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proposal
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My proposal looks to embrace the sweeping views of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour by establishing a raised, water focused recreational destination. Bayswater holds potential as a transport hub, located just 10minutes from town via ferry. Re-establishing the history of the site and our connections to Maori ancestry and activity in Waitemata harbour encourages an organic architecture to take place. Taking on the forms of recreational fishing nets and baskets, created by techniques of knotting and weaving, the shell of the building will undulate as if to suggest the motion it holds. A tiered rooftop pool, cafÊ and bar will generate a new fashionable destination that both local residents and tourists are drawn to for an unparalleled experience.