Book3 eleanor

eH harbourEDGE

Part 1.

Background

hallucinations of an

oasis

urban oasis Currently housing the Downtown Westfield Shopping Mall, this area will be redeveloped so that the City Rail Link (CRL) can be housed beneath it, a move that is essential for Auckland’s growth as an international city. This site is prominent on the waterfront, so close to the transport hub, and in ideal proximity to the ‘engine room’ of commerce and industry in the central city. The built form of the redevelopment will dictate the opinions of thousands as they enter, leave, live, love and flourish in our city.

As a pivotal location, whatever is constructed here will without doubt shape the lives of the city’s inhabitants, and add some small measure of character – good or bad - to the city. It could be a monument to commercialism, or an unrivalled mega-mall that engenders cynicism in the everyday commuter. Perhaps a skyscraper that looks down its nose to the harbor, secure in its own lofty visions of capitalism and finance being played out within. Perhaps laughter will echo out across an urban park, empty except for trees and canals, finally giving the children of the city a place to play in the central city.

The pursuit of money and power alone cannot inform the culture of a city, except perhaps to its detriment. To grow a city of life, arts, identity, there must be interaction that touches upon social conditions that are needed not to simply survive, but to nurture the soul. This is the type of international city that brilliant, young and talented people want to live and work within.

exploring auckland But, (understandably) the situation of the redevelopment must return a profit to Precint Properties, who are to invest in the construction. However, the determination of a profit is different by the varying opinions of success criteria. To measure the success of positive contribution to the urban fabric of the city, is to select a very different set of success standards than that of the maximum rentable floor space to line the pockets of stakeholders. Therefore tempering the commercial reality of the situation, which is a rather wholly unoriginal if necessary aspect of the programme, comes the unavoidable question of who we are as individuals, and as a city, and derived from these questions, what face are we to show the world, through the interaction with this site; this built form will be an unavoidable impression of the city.

Exploring a programme that offers more than commercial enterprise, but seeks to enrich and complement the existing cityscape, should be undertaken in the context of this site. The potential platform for international visitors should bear in mind the aspects of tourism and exposure, without reiterating the well-known and commonly thought of ‘kiwisms’ that define New Zealand from a brief glance reaching from an external world view.

From an outside glance, New Zealand is a somewhat clichéd ‘100% pure’, clean, green land where sheep outnumber people. A young country on the world stage, we have a bare 4,471,100 inhabitants over 269,652sq km. The Maori culture has long been a well-publicised part of our culture and currently makes up 14.9% of the population.

Auckland is known as the largest city by a huge margin, although it is not the capital. Our green image is augmented by the diversity of native flora and fauna, with souvenir icons often featuring kiwi imagery, korus, jade, wool and natural products. Traditionally the New Zealand economy depended on farm products, such as meat, diary and wool exports, but more recent years have seen the addition of tourism, films, and wine to our export list.

To formulate the design for a site that is more than simple ‘tourist bait’, playing on the established stereotypes that clever advertising agencies have devised as New Zealand’s ‘image’, we should engage with an aspect of our culture that will both aid the revitalization of the city and is needed, and is undervalued on the international level.

Thereby bringing some aspect of local culture to the fore without forcing interaction, but enabling the voluntary engagement through local experience to facilitate a truer impression of our city, and through that interaction, us. As Goldberger says, ‘the way a community builds tells you … all you need to know about its values,’ but what do we value? Perhaps we have not yet asked ourselves that question, content to be mislead by the image cultivated through the wiles of the media, or perhaps there strong views and opinions waiting to be heard on what we should build, and why.

“...voluntary engagement through local experience to facilitate a truer impression of our city...”

So, this extrapolation begs the question of what the city needs, and realistically which of these needs could possibly be fulfilled within the constraints of this siteand the social, emotional, spatial existing context of the city. From a personal viewpoint, the key ideas in this context that are pertinent to the design are access vs engagement, the idea of a threshold site, one that leaves an impression on the people entering and leaving, the idea need for a place to congregate, to gather, that isn’t readily available elsewhere in the city. This is directed towards the residents, students, foot-traffic that don’t wish to spend on the high-end retail and restaurant hubs, but neither want to hide out in a food court of chain-café or be forced to pick up McDonalds for lunch. The inbetweenies, mid-level market targeting the everyday folk that aren’t wealthy, but want an outlet, somewhere to go and relax. All of these factors point to the idea of a ‘gathering place’ somewhere that facilitates social interaction and functions as a destination as opposed to a thoroughfare.

adopted with varying degrees of enthusiasm depending on the radicalism of the social idea employed within the new construction. Fortunately, recent history shows that the adoption of new civic, cultural space has been well received by the Auckland public, with the enthusiastic adoption of the redevelopment of Wynyard Quarter and other newly refurbished spaces.

a gathering place

Auckland is consciously redeveloping the central city with an eye to revitalizing the culture and stimulating the local economy. The City Centre Master Plan outlines several proposals for re-developing the central city, many of which will have an impact on this site. The Harbour Stitch, increasing pedestrian shared space and redeveloping street edges that are currently under-served, such as the Albert Street edge of the site, will maximize the social interaction with the civic space. As the ‘engine room’ of the city, the council is intensifying the innovation factor within the sector, requiring high-quality public spaces to serve the increased pressure on the quality and quantity of available services.

The green link, creating linear parks through the city in a loop fashion, connecting people and spaces, brushes along the edge of this site, suggesting a promising region for a central city urban parkscape. The water-city development of hospitality, entertainment and services concentrated along the harbourside is suggestive of a complementing cultural programme for the architectural redevelopment of the Downtown Mall site.

A gathering space is a place of social, public interaction, where the interaction between people is the main focus.

Civic space can shape the social dynamic of urban culture, through that channel can affect the social connection between the people, the architecture and their own culture. Architectural designs are ‘frameworks around people’s lives,’ not isolated pieces of art . Public spaces are defined by their history, and the urban environment that forms their context. So in creating a ‘gathering place’ for the city, we must consider what is possible and optimistic for a social space today. The public environment today is one of shades of grey, that seeks to lessen the distinction between contrasting elements, whether segments of society or historical urban fabric. Curiosity, understanding, tolerance is celebrated. Streets should be safe to walk, markets should celebrate differences, parks should be alive with different types of people and activities. Public spaces should be where people from different origins can mingle and exchange ideas and awareness in a way they cannot elsewhere . Helping Auckland restart its heart, and linking the creative quarters of Skycity, Aotea and the Waterfront are all possibilities within this site.

As corporations increasingly trade the idealistic ambitions of civic improvement for increased rentable floor areas, some still try to adopt a position of social responsibility.

Precint Properties is eager to help fulfil what they see as their social obligation, and offer the opportunity to enrich the cultural dynamic of the central city, balancing social obligation with the commercial drive for profit. But we must be careful when creating new public spaces, as they interrupt existing rhythms and force the speculative adaption of a new interaction within the city, which may be

“... creative... curious... urban parkscape...”

By linking social spaces, revitalizing urban culture, and complementing existing proposed developments, there lies suggestions for possible avenues for an underlying thematic element to drive the cultural experience of this new space. As an addition to social spaces, music is seen as a welcome addition to thought and action, extolling a sense of creativity, spontaneity and expression, and inviting participation and social connection. Generally, music events in a public place on a regular basis would prompt people to come more often, revitalising the space . As a subconscious or conscious psychological impetus, music can improve or decrease the positive experience of the space. When the experience is improved, associated retail consumer activity and likelihood of return also increase, and likewise when the experience is negative . For this reason, any space that seeks to use more controversial music should be a layered environment, in which any superficial activity is optimistically engaging to the majority of people, while reclusive spaces cater to more eclectic tastes.

The possibility of using music as a thematic driver for the site links neatly with representing a component of the local industry to peel away the cultivated layers of ‘NZ imagery’ and reveal an under-represented part of local culture that can also increase the social value of this gathering place. The current music industry is in somewhat a state of upheaval, as the decrease in album sales is led by the increase in streaming services. This means that artists have to be more savvy in how they generate income, as streaming services pay a fraction of a cent per play. For the New Zealand industry, which is not huge to begin with, this means that there will be struggle as they try to ride out the change. The increased variety of music means that so too an increased number of new music must be brought to the industry. Creating a space that offers the creative aspects as well as the performance aspect of music, highlighting the production process and representing the invisible parts of the process, is of interest to anyone who likes to peek beneath the surface of a thing to see how it works. The decrease in sales has increased the interest and popularity in live performances, a valuable factor for a performance orientated venue.

“...inviting participation and social connection...”

DENSITY AND CIRCULATION Current densities of live music venues, ‘gathering places’ and circulation / transport links in the city

Translating music and civic space to this site is informed by the current density and availability of music venues. Typically concentrated in K Rd, the local music scene is thin on the ground in the central city. Even historically, there used to be rock venues situated here in the 60s - before the mall was built in 1975 - named the Beatle Inn and Shiralee, and the Waterfront theatre was moved during the America’s cup and has recently reopened on 305 Queen St as Q Theatre, leaving a gulf of culture on the waterfront. Potentially there will be a new theatre constructed in Wynyard Quarter in the future. Through this reasoning we can answer to the need for engagement of space and value of a threshold location, describing and exposing and undervalued part of NZ culture and potentially enlivening the industry. The locality of experience, without clichéd tourist trap devices.

The embodiment of a location that is a destination, events, social space that facilitates the nourishment of social life and the soul.

Potentially reintroducing these elements back to the site would have positive ripple effects in the urban environment, not simply a nod to history. There is the opportunity to revitalise the music industry, and expose it to a greater international scene. By turning the location into a destination for recreation, social events and performance the site becomes a destination, and as a by-product stimulates the surrounding area, particularly the hospitality and service sectors. Including space for offices would also help intensify the population of the area, which the council is attempting to encourage using their ‘Engine Room’ policy. Also, as a threshold site, something that offers an ‘experience’ is valued for its apparent portrayal of local identity, and so the site is likely to attract tourists and visitors, particularly off the cruise ships. Apart from the tangible economic benefits, there are likely to be improvements to the social and cultural scene available to city residents. The addition of green and sheltered space is alway desirable in the city, so long as it is safe and clean. As a transition route it should also offer ‘short-cuts’ through the site and a link or station platform extension to the train station under Britomart.

GREEN LINKS, ENGINE ROOM Current city centre master plan links to redevelopment of site.

The fluidity of the music scene, the idea of setting this building within the local ebb and flow of trends, hipsters, cutting edge music and popular culture, leads to the idea of transformation and metamorphosis. Not only is this site aiding the rejunevation of the central city, but the metamorphosis of the urban fabric can also be reflected in the perpertually changing aspect of the intangible world of music. This dynamic, cutting edge environment begs the satisfaction of an equally cutting-edge, vibrant, interactive facility, but it is essential not be seduced by a desire to please a society in thrall to eye-grabbing architecture . As that success will prove momentary and fleeting, as the next installment of excitement manifests elsewhere.

Instead, drawing inspiration from literature associated with the music industry, we can look at characters from popular culture that could inform and enrich the potential architectural environment. Comic books have long shaped the imaginations of young people everywhere, and it would be perhaps appropriate to take that aspect of imagination, to lend a surreal, fantastic sense to this architecture. From the Marvel Comics is Dazzler, a character from the X-Men franchise who lives and breathes music, and can convert sound into energy and light. The idea of conversion and transformative processes, energy and dynamism is an essential aesthetic behind the functionality of the space. The act of curiosity and whimsy is celebrated by today’s youth. Because of this, there is an integral value in the play of light, colour, sculpture and art that questions and provokes new interpretations of the representation of the world as we know it. This sense of play is at its heart an act of communication, and in a changing environment can form social spaces, routes and accidental meetings that widen our perception of the relationships of people, relationships and their personal subjective view of world.

Using these ideas to inform a programme, we can begin to get a sense of what this site, space and architecture might look like. The spatial elements of circulation and stitching of space is essential for the basic massing of the structure, and pieces of the programme are inherently relevant and should be utilized in this context. Using the research and initial design intent as illustrated through this piece of writing, we can begin to explore initial possibilities for the design process.

volume of possibilities

INITIAL LAYOUT SPREADS Early ideas for organisation of the site and different aspects of the project and circulation.

signposting a direction

INTEGRAL DESIGN IDEAS

- Facilitating social interaction; creating a destination, cultivating green space through the engagement of music as an intangible but significant element - Pedestrian links and access, easy to pass through, easy to turn into a destination, including underground link to the CRL - Playing with the delineation and boundaries of space through the interaction of light, the transformative aspect of the ebb and flow of intensity of commuters, nightlife, and differences in user type - Human scale of the construction to give sense of ownership of the interventation, softening the impact in the urban fabric - Garden city aesthetic, linking to green links to be developed in the CIty Centre Masterplan. Pushing buses at least partially out of the QE2 square and if possible Albert St, so that the civic function can ‘spill’ out into the shared spaces that are to reinvigorate Quay, Albert and Queen Streets.

- Commercial skin ‘performance’ retail that shields and supports the aspects of the music production process, using one as a balance and mitigating factor for the other, and presenting both typologies in ways different to traditional types.

- Transperancy of function and layers of programme enable the gentle emergence from non-threatening environment to a voluntarily more challenging scene in terms of exposure to different elements of music and associated service / hospitality / commercial elements.

- Highlighting the production process instead of hiding it, like a bakery that shows how it’s pastries are made through a glazed partition. Seperate spaces and functions but unified by a visual link.

- Using this basic production process as the ‘manufacturing process’ that is the function of the site, overlaid by the commercial and civic aspects.

- Ensuring the idea of ‘free’ spaces and gathering spaces are not lost in the design process; in particular a sheltered gathering space that has decent cover from the weather and elements.

- Reactivity of the space - potential of transformative space to be on a daily basis; in response to direct sound or human interaction, or on a longer type of metaphorosis, so that the commercial elements are continually being transformed in a way that links to the underlying music element - Shifting paradigms: using spatial and material devices to skew the stereotypical aspects of performer and audience; translucent layering devices and division of function that questions the ordinary division of ‘stage’ and those watching.

Basic investigation takes the form of initial massing interactions, circulation routes, lighting and interactive space brainstorming and aesthetic quality. Ideal characteristics for spatial design of public spaces enlivened by music include the informality of the setting, where any corner could be the next stage, being sure not to demand music that ‘matches’ the setting, multicultural inclusion, and a lack of schedule and in cases financial relationship . Using the idea of layering to separate layers of music spheres, there becomes a question of transperancy, its purpose, it’s tangible existence or subtle suggestion of a delineation of space.

For a space that invites and gives the exchange of ideas, there are three key elements; transperancy, community and individualization .

Accumulating the ideas that came out of research and initial exploration of design possibilities, there came the formation of a series of design strategies that will form the most basic foundation for the design and evolution of the space.

a strategy for design

form, mass and green stuff The exploration of initial massing and design elements also offered points to bring into the next set of iterative design processes, and points to expand upon.

Strongest characteristics that would perform well was the layering aspect, both externally and internally. The interchange of multi-level green spaces and terraces where the community can gather and internally the subtle differentiation of levels that sink downwards to articulate the connection with the CRL. The sinking of the majority of the site enables us to retain the human scale of the development, important for the perception of ownership of the site by the city’s inhabitants; it’s harder to feel affection for a hulking skyscraper than a quaint village. Shifting the public transport away from site and emphasizing shared space spilling into side streets. Directly from the massing were a couple of key ideas, one of which is to contain and to centralize the major sound-spaces. Also a potential aesthetic option was the dynamic, vertical and elemental aesthetic to the architecture, echoing the nearby tall buildings on a much smaller scale, creating a reflective relationship of scale and form, while preventing the form from becoming an overly long and wide space without vertical elements.

Under-emphasised in the initial exploration was the permeability of the site and connection to the wider context of the urban fabric for the individual design ideas, including the light linking strategies to the nearby buildings. The porosity within the site is vital to maintain a sense of intimacy with smaller laneways, and easy circulation with a major thoroughfare. Also under-representated was the under lying concept of the site; the ‘free spaces’ which form the gathering nodes in the site. These sheltered public spaces are vital to the functionality of the city. Also essential is the homogeneity of the design aesthetic in the form of the city.

INITIAL MASSING Early ideas for massing, associated lighting ideas, generative plans and sections.

INITIAL MASSING Early ideas for massing, associated lighting ideas, generative plans and sections.

“If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.�

- Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

DESIGN GENERATION Using the design strategies that have been identified to give iterations of plans and sections for architectural possibilities.

Light will always be a key part of performances, it is expected through the emotional impact it can have and heighten for the audience. However, extending that influence to cover the entire shell, is to make a statement irrevocably of the façade system of the architecture, like wearing a neon jacket, where no one looks at the person underneath, or appreciates their beauty, as the façade obscures all other features through its attention-grabbing nature, making it near impossible for the architecture to draw any other engagements with the user. For this reason, steering towards a system of responsive architecture that doesn’t depend on high beams, lasers, and an eyesore aesthetic of colour to make itself known, but instead focusing in the interaction of light and shade, sound, and dynamism. Colours, light shows, that sort of thing, are for this site more suited to the short-term transformative aspect of space, for popup or show or installation art. The responsive system should be engaging, but not enough to obscure the true drama of the architecture, which is the performance of the people, the drama of the social interaction of everyday, for what could be stranger than the interaction of people. Leaning towards this more sculptural type of light device rather than a ‘show-stopping’ facade type should make the same distinction as between going to the theatre and going to a strip show. One is perhaps tacky, one night only, and you (probably) wouldn’t visit again soon (depending on your personal tastes), while another is more interesting, leaves you thinking, and with a desire to perhaps go back again.

Translating to this site in particular: As mentioned above, the sculptural act of controlling the natural elements of light and shade more suited to a long-term installation of a façade, as light and shade are timeless characteristics of interests. Light shows, performance, LED screens, these are elements that are continually progressing and being updated

technologically, and to install them in a long-term icon in the city centre would be to create a building that would rapidly ‘date’ and become out of sync with the times. Instead the metaphorosis of light and darkness should function as the main backdrop, on the surface of which the superficial elements of fleeting excitement, be it garish and bright or more tasteful, should play across. The light system should facilitate and accommodate the passing day-to-day excitement of the moment, but not be instructed or designed by it, for that would in turn make it seem something that should exist one day and be gone the next. The momumentality of sculpture and beauty should instil a sense of anchorage, that the heart of the structure will stand long past the weathering touches of wild nights, busy days and still, serene mornings. In this way we will be designing not just for a city centre to answer the needs of today, but also for the future.

Therefore, these elements should be separate from the transient nature of those are what occupies the space. The space should be resilient as a container for these ephermereal acts of popular culture, whose trending edges come and go as blown by the wind, and the internal differential spaces should only lightly inform how the shell should be constrained by particular programme. In this way the space will be versatile, engaging over a span of decades instead of years. The spatial qualities and quantities of the spaces should be recognized through the design theme and layout, without being tempted to embody the enthralling characteristics of what is trendy and eye-catching. So the individual inhabitants of the places may come and go, but the place itself should evolve and house generations of hipsters. In this way we may consider elements of sound, dynamism and light as reactive sources must be either a high-intensity interactive pop-up installation, or a more subtle system to be integrated with the building’s form.

lighting module

SUITABILITY OF REACTIVE SYSTEMS

DESIGN GENERATION Using the design strategies that have been identified to give iterations of plans and sections for architectural possibilities.

shaping an urban environment The current Downtown Westfield has 12417m2 gross lettable area, and was sould by Westfield to Precinct Properties Holdings New Zealand in 2012. The centre was described as underperforming, and also underdeveloped, at three stories high. To increase the performance of the site, Westfield had proposed a 41 floor office tower in 2008. Most of the users are workers, tourists and the city residents .

Any new proposal must recognize the economic viability of the site in addition to the social aspects. For this reason, the spatial quantification of programme is essential to describe the commercial reality of a proposal. Final determination of effective commercial reasoning will depending on the establisment of programme and spatial layout.

DESIGN VISUALISATION Using the design strategies and concentration of major ideas to form four major ‘ideas’ for the architectural solution.

Part 2.

Proposal

sounds in the sky Thrusting an amphitheatre into the sky, and utilizing the shape to carve out part of the tower complex, thus generating a unique music venue and view from the amphitheatre and several story bar/club rising in the space behind it. Catering to the idea of a unique venue, this would be a ‘must-experience’ performance arena. As the sun goes down, casting red rays across the bowl and people party on the edge of the horizon, looking out across the harbour.

DESIGN VISUALISATION Using the design strategies and concentration of major ideas to form four major ‘ideas’ for the architectural solution.

bass in the basin A centrally focused layout based around a sunken amphitheatre. This ampitheatre can be fill with water in a tidal exchange from the harbor, converting it to a recreational space, or emptied to be used a sound space. Aesthetic ‘tributaries’ flow from between the gashes in the building masses. The basin forms a transitional space to enhance the opportunities to offer cultural value in this location.

DESIGN VISUALISATION Using the design strategies and concentration of major ideas to form four major ‘ideas’ for the architectural solution.

the underground exposed Using the underground CRL as a dominant design component, so that the most important space in the site is beneath the ground. Creating a centralized ‘free’ space that dictates the radial circulation and programme, and uses transperancy to highlight the main function of this site: the railway. Either pulls the station platform through to the underneath of the site to from this ‘hub’ or a link under the ground to the station. Extending the same transperancy to the other below ground functions so that they are exposed to the passersbys along the common thoroughfare.

DESIGN VISUALISATION Using the design strategies and concentration of major ideas to form four major ‘ideas’ for the architectural solution.

garden labyrinth

escher’s dreams

A labyrinth-like mass, open-air and as if part of a giant lattice-structure. Gives the impression of a cross between the hanging gardens and the Sendai Mediatheque. Using gentle inclines as a means of circulation, this structure should provoke a sense of delight and whimsy, as light penetrates the structure through angled and mis-matched holes in the fabric of the structure. The effect is enhanced as the submerged part of the structure is the same style as the above-ground.

DESIGN VISUALISATION Using the design strategies and concentration of major ideas to form four major ‘ideas’ for the architectural solution.

spaces LAYERED TERRACES Rough timber runs in long planks across a dark ironwork frame. Curling out from the frame are delicate worked colonnades, curving with a gentle, cool integrity to bear the weight of the terrace above. Light seeps through the cracks in the wooden terrace overhead, falling in long fingers over the stonework below. On the roof tops Soft grasses stretch over the upper surface of a terraced block, gently rippling in emerald waves. A football skids across the grass and a boy pelts after it, before it runs between the DIY goalposts made of shoes.

THE INFINITY SPA Dripping over the edges of the terraces, the spa basks in the sunlight of the square. Men and women luxuriate in the leisurely ambience, a sanctuary within the heart of the city. Detaching this sanctuary from the busy layers of function below creates a sense of contented estrangement from the worries of the day, floating within a capsule where time pauses. As the seasons turn and winter cools the air, the pools steam with warmth, becoming open-air spas, with mists lying heavy over the waters.

VERTICAL CHALLENGE The yawning walls of HSBC and the terraces stretch upwards, the sheer verticality offering a challeng possibility for recreational space A curved skate ramp leaps up one wall, while a climbing surface scatters haphazardly over another. The empty air above is punctuated by jumps and tricks as bmx riders launch themselves into the air. A boy pumps his fist in the air as he lands a manuver, and his friends crowd to slap him on the back.

TRANSPARENT STUDIOS A man sings into a microphone, as an eagle-eyed sound technician watches from the control room, one hand clasped to his head phones as he adjusts the dials in front of him. From the far side of a transperant surface watches a little girl, open-mouthed at the performance of recording music. Her mother tugs her hand, drawing her back along the underground connection to the train station.

THE GROTTO The blue of the waters reflected surreally with the underground cavern. Tranquility exudes from the still waters, a mysterious invitation to enter its depths. The urge to dip your toes in the water, to sit for a moment and be enveloped by the serenity, overwhelms any urge to move on.

A WHIMSICAL AFFAIR Wrapping, entwining, wide and narrow, obvious or unexpected. The circulation system is dictated by whimsy and a sense of labyrinth-like enrapture, drawing one further and further within the folds of the structure. The translucent layering of function and form prevents confusion to allow a semitransperant view of the structure, so that the despairing maze is not fully articulated, and remains a structure of curiosity rather than frustration.

spaces SUSPENDED URBAN GARDEN Ivy clambers eagerly over the offering framework of the structure, greedily devouring the exposed surfaces. Lilies bob gently in the weak breeze beside the waters of the basin. Flowers and fronds droop happily over the edges of the terraces, stretching to feel the warmth of the sunlight on their skin.

ROOFTOP JAZZ GARDEN A secret garden entwined in pergolas and ivy, laid out with mismatched furniture and oddly placed niches, like a living room in the Garden of Eden. A subtly raised platform provides a stage for the jazz band. The brassy strands of the saxophone drift through the garden, occasionally interrupting conversations with its delight. Follow a twisting stair to reveal the bar below and retrieve a platter of nibbles to bring back to the garden.

VERTICAL CHALLENGE The yawning walls of HSBC and the terraces stretch upwards, the sheer verticality offering a challeng possibility for recreational space A curved skate ramp leaps up one wall, while a climbing surface scatters haphazardly over another. The empty air above is punctuated by jumps and tricks as bmx riders launch themselves into the air. A boy pumps his fist in the air as he lands a manuver, and his friends crowd to slap him on the back.

“any corner could be a stage�

VERTICAL PLAYGROUND The retail and cafes sandwiched between the terraces rise in a multi-story environment. Families mingle in the gentle gardens and earthy stores, bringing children back into the inner city. Stretching between the terraces rises a vertical playground, whimsical and surreal shapes and forms offering an irresistible place of exploration for children, as their mothers watch resignedly from the balcony, a frothy coffee close at hand.

IMPROMPTU STAGES Any corner is a stage. The innate nature of the labyrinth lends towards informality and an indistinct delineation of spaces, so that the space welcomes performance and natural rhythms of the city.

NICHES OF CHANCES Nooks and niches pepper the maze, forming corners for conversation and chance meetings. Gentle potential for social interactions facilitating by the cosy widths of the spaces, and the one or two proffered seating arrangements. Some are lit by artificial light, while others entrap the light of the moon, embracing the day or night.

spaces DANCING SCREENS OF LIGHT Light flees in fluorescent ripples as fingers trail across the wall’s surface. Pulsing lights reflect the deep bass rhythm, as bodies dance and voices rise in excitement. Deep underground the reactive surfaces of the spaces function as both a source of light and also enhances the intensity of the experience, exuding a mind-altering enrapture of chaotic sound, light and touch.

CENTRALISED OASIS Tides bring a salty offering to the basin in the midst of the gardens, the water rising and falling as it is filled from the harbour. Generally filled with water, this offers a safe environment for water activities that might not be possible in the harbour. The screams of delight from children as they splash on the steps, the intense concentration of a scribbler as he writes madly in his book, feet dangling in the water. Luminescent umbrellas contrast brightly against the earthy, green tones of the terraces, shading those on the patios of the cafes and restaurants.

THE BURIED YOUTH The most enclosed layer of the complex, within beats the heart of the most controversial, edgy, possibility unwelcome acts to most of the populace. The trendsetters, hippies, edge of the ‘new’ is celebrated with gusto in the buried, vaulted capsule below.

WINE IN THE CLOUDS A multi-storey venue stretching behind the void of the floating amphitheatre. During the day, a rich menu of food and wine, catering to those with more exclusive taste. Floating high above the rest of the complex, the drums will echo out across the skyline as the sun sets, and clouds drift lazily past the stage.

TENDRILS OF KNOWLEDGE The music library punctuated the vertical wall surface like embedded ivy, scattering out across the service. Turning the library inside out so that it is expansive rather than enclosed, people searching through scores and material wander populated spaces instead of the stillness of an infrequently used space.

THE AVENUES Lights dangle low over the tall, thin avenues between the buildings. They cast shifting shadows over the relief of the cobbled surfaces as they twist in a slight breeze. An effortless pergola soars from the pathside up high over head, the rich grain of the wood veneer yellowing richly the halos from the lamps. The strings of the lamps dangle from the pergolas like ethereal tendrils from a weeping willow, sheltering the passersbys within its embrace.

concept sections sky ampitheatre

relaxation centre

rooftop recreation

underground link

rehearsal rooms the vault free space

music centre

the vault free space

underground link

CONCEPTUAL SECTION DIAGRAMS Perpendicular section cuts through the site.

Albert St

conceptual site design

GROUND FLOOR RETAIL

CAFE CAFE / RESTAURANT

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL BASIN

RETAIL

Quay St

Customs St

VOID

RETAIL/ ESPRESSO BAR

KITCHEN

RETAIL RESTAURANT

Queen St

conceptual site design

FIRST FLOOR RETAIL

JAZZ BAR

RETAIL

RETAIL VOID

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL RELAXATION CENTRE

conceptual site design

SECOND FLOOR CAFE + RETAIL

PLAYGROUND JAZZ GARDEN

SPA

ROOFTOP RECREATIONAL SPACE OFFICES

MIXING STUDIO

RELAXATION CENTRE BALCONY

conceptual site design

THIRD FLOOR DECK

RESTAURANT

OFFICE DECK

ROOFTOP SPACE

conceptual site design

FOURTH FLOOR TOWER

ROOFTOP RECREATIONAL SPACE

conceptual site design

BELOW ONE

VOCAL ROOM

STORE DEAD ROOM

RECORDING STUDIO

STONE ROOM

GREEN ROOM

ADMIN

BASEMENT BAR CONTROL ROOM

LOUNGE VOID

VOID PRACTICE SPACES

VOID

conceptual site design

BELOW TWO DEAD ROOM SMALL RECORDING STUDIO

LARGE RECORDING STUDIO

VOCAL ROOM

STONE ROOM

CONTROL ROOM

LIBRARY FREE SPACE

REHEARSAL SPACE

CAFE

PERFORMANCE SPACE

BACKSTAGE

GREEN ROOM

RE-ORIENTATE main square to take advantage of the natural sun path

EXTEND shared space on Albert St to improve street-edge culture, running beside the canal (if exposed) that fills the basin. Narrow the lanes to one or two way system for buses only on Albert Street. Enclose the Quay Street area between HSBC and the Ferrry Building to be a pedestrian / shared space only.

LINK creative quarters using light rail system. This should connect the Aotea area and the waterfront to make a more cohesive area, and if possible extend up to Karangahape Road.

TIDAL exchange to the harbour, may be an open, stepped channel or may be enclosed if necessary.

SUBMERGED convergence of pedestrian links and free space beneath the surface of the ground.

Link to the train station either by extending platform of simply an underground route.

contextual ideas

“Do you remember what Darwin says about music? He claims that the power of producing and appreciating it existed among the human race long before the power of speech was arrived at. Perhaps that is why we are so subtly influenced by it. There are vague memories in our souls of those misty centuries when the world was in its childhood.�

- Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet

SKETCH VISUALISATION A quick sketch visualizing the space from the Ferry Building corner looking up Queen Street.

SKETCH VISUALISATION A quick sketch visualizing the terraces next to the basin.

SKETCH VISUALISATION A quick sketch visualizing the interior of the tower complex and patterned facade systems for interactive surfaces.

< edgy >

SKETCH VISUALISATION A quick sketch visualizing the space from the Ferry Building corner looking up Queen Street.

: informal at the forefront of a trend; experimental or avant-garde.

SKETCH VISUALISATION A quick sketch of the surrealist / fantastic edges of the garden labyrinth aesthetic - within the vault.