THE DOWNTOWN DIALOGUE PART IV TRANSLATED BY C. YUAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS SITE LOCATION DEISGN REPORT SITE ANALYSIS THE DIALOGUE AT A GLANCE
THE DIALOGUE - ZOOMING IN SELECTED BUILDING
1 2 3
BIRD’S EYE VIEW GROUND FLOOR PLAN SECTION CHARACTER LIST “WHAT THEY ALL WANT
7 8 9 10 12
SITE AXONOMETRIC EXPERIENTIAL MAP (WITH PERSPECTIVES)
14 15
HARBOUR AVENUES RETAIL BLOCK A RETAIL BLOCK B SKYBRIDGE
20 23 27 30
SITE LOCATION - DOWNTOWN SHOPPING CENTRE
1
Design Report The Downtown Dialogue : An Urban Living Room for All of Auckland
ReadWrite architecture has led to the discovery of the undesirable state of the present Downtown Shopping Centre, and the adjoining QEII Square. While the shopping mall itself is occupied with the banality of lower-end shopping and an equally banal and outdated piece of architecture, the square is dark, windy and underused. A site of prominence in Auckland CBD should not be buried in mundane retail, overwhelming corporate presences and lifelessness. This assertion led to the question of “what Auckland wants.” Logically tackling the physical deficiencies of the site, it becomes clear that desirable qualities such as permeability, sunlight, view, and comfort should inform the speculative proposal of this site. On another level, the current debate on the tension between public and private ownership of the space makes the site, and its future, political. Already overshadowed and overwhelmed by corporate presence (Zurich Building and HSBC Building), coupled with the unpopularity of QEII Square, the current usage of the site is dominantly corporate. However, this does not mean the status-quo is adequate. As the centre of Auckland’s transport hub, Central Business District, and fringing the trendy Britomart Precinct, this space does not fulfil its civic functions. Or at the very least, blend in with the “success” of Britomart Precinct.
The square itself, is broken up by gardens, trees, water features, comfortable seating, platforms that implicitly extend the ground floors of interior spaces, and pathways that explicitly lead exterior space into interior spaces. A giant series of steps lead down from Customs street, giving a sense of “arrival” to the space. The Retail spaces to the Southwest of the square, have slanting forms with big open gesturing volumes which welcomes pedestrians into the interior spaces, which are filled with pockets of “living spaces” – comfortable seating that extend the square. Zurich Building is also speculatively “gutted” on the bottom level, to allow a difference podium to the building. The ground floor is permeable to the outside through a cross axes, and pockets of “living spaces” are situated near the square. The square as the heart of complex unites the cultural centre and eatery blocks, the retail blocks, and the office block, by permeating pathways. The overall urban design presents interlocked interior and exterior spaces, of mixed-use functions, which attempts to unite what is desirable about the public space, with the utilitarian nature of commercial spaces.
However, not all things to do with capitalist intensions are bad. The city centre gains much of its identity from economic activity. And for this purpose many come to the city centre. This proposal seeks to tackle this tension by providing a complex which mixes the public with the private. Where shops, eateries, and offices, as destination spaces for some, are sliced with pathways, pockets, and a large square of public space. The main rigour of the project comes from a diagonal slicing and dicing of the site. This strategy allows permeability within large blocks of commercial and office spaces. This permeability is important as it lets in both pedestrians, views, and a sense of accessibility and intermingling between the different blocks of the complex. HSBC is sliced, to form the Harbour Avenues, where small blocks that consist of eateries and a cultural centre, are interlinked with open pathways across each level. The Avenues welcome visitors and pedestrians into the heart of a lively square, through an interactive cultural centre. Equally, the “occupants” of the complex are opened up to the harbour.
2
SUNLIGHT
VIEW TOWARDS HARBOUR
NON-ORTHOGONAL ANGLES
PERMEABILITY
COMFORT
SITE DEFICIENCY FACTORS
3
1. AXES OF PERMEABILITY
2. SLANTING OF AXES
3. AXES EXTENDED TO PLAN
4. AXES TO ADDRESS DEFICIENCY FACTORS
STRATEGY - SLICING
4
1. VOLUMES OF PERMEABILITY
2. VOLUMES OF SUNSHINE
3. VOLUMES OF VIEW
4. VOLUMES OF LIVING (COMFORT)
4. VOLUMES OF SUPERIMPOSED
MASSING STRATEGY ACCORDING TO SLICING
5
THE DIALOGUE - AT A GLANCE
6
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
7
QUEEN ST
“LIVING AREA”
OFFICES
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” EATERY
RETAIL SHOP
PONDS
CUSTOM ST
“LIVING AREA”
QUAY ST
EATERY
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOP “LIVING AREA”
A
EATERY “LIVING AREA” CAFE
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOPS
“LIVING AREA”
CULTURAL CENTRE
A
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” “LIVING AREA”
N
ALBERT ST
10 m
20 m
50 m
PLAN
8
10m
20m
50m
SECTION A-A
9
MISERABLE WESLEY WESTFIELD DOWNTOWN
PRETTY FRANCIE FERRY BUILDING
ZACH ZURICH BUILDING & THE CORPORATE BOYS
BRIT BUSTLING BRITOMART TRASPORT CENTRE
A DIALOGUE FOR DOWNTOWN AUCKLAND
10
A LIVING ROOM FOR ALL AUCKLANDERS
11
A RESTFUL SPACE
A COMFORTABLE SPACE A SPACE WITH A GOOD VIEW
A PERMEABLE SPACE
AN IRREGULAR SPACE
LESS SHADING
“WHAT DO THEY ALL WANT?”
12
THE DIALOGUE - ZOOMING IN
13
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC SITE 14
B
A
LANDSCAPING
GROUND FLOOR ORGANISATION
OLD & NEW STRUCTURE
GROUND ACCESS OFFICE SPACES
RETAIL
HARBOUR AVENUES & CULTURAL CENTRE
ZURICH HOUSE ALTERED
HSBC SLICED
5m
20m
QUEEN ST
“LIVING AREA”
OFFICES
A
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” EATERY
RETAIL SHOP
PONDS
A CUSTOM ST
“LIVING AREA”
QUAY ST
EATERY
“LIVING AREA”
B
RETAIL SHOP “LIVING AREA”
EATERY “LIVING AREA” CAFE
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOPS
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA”
CULTURAL CENTRE
A “LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” “LIVING AREA”
N
Ch
ALBERT ST
EXPERIENTIAL MAP 15
PERSPECTIVE A CUSTOM ST ENTRANCE
16
PERSPECTIVE C PERSPECTIVE B ACROSS FROM HARBOUR VIEW FROM AVENUES PWC
17
PERSPECTIVE C VIEW FROM PWC
18
SELECTED BUILDINGS
19
QUEEN ST
“LIVING AREA”
OFFICES
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” EATERY
RETAIL SHOP
PONDS
CUSTOM ST
“LIVING AREA”
QUAY ST
EATERY
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOP “LIVING AREA”
A
EATERY “LIVING AREA” CAFE
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOPS
“LIVING AREA”
CULTURAL CENTRE
A
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” “LIVING AREA”
N
ALBERT ST
10 m
20 m
50 m
HARBOUR AVENUES - PLAN
20
HARBOUR AVENUES EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC 21
GROUND FLOOR
INTERACTIVE VOLCANO MAP
MAIN CIRCULATION
COLUMNS
FLOORS 1 - 4 INTER-BUILDING CIRCULATION
ENVELOPE FORM HFACADE PATTERN
HARBOUR AVENUES SECTION
22
QUEEN ST
“LIVING AREA”
OFFICES
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” EATERY
RETAIL SHOP
PONDS
A CUSTOM ST
“LIVING AREA”
QUAY ST
EATERY
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOP “LIVING AREA”
EATERY “LIVING AREA” CAFE
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOPS
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA”
CULTURAL CENTRE
A “LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” “LIVING AREA”
N
ALBERT ST
RETAIL BLOCK A PLAN
23
RETAIL BLOCK A SECTION
24
RETAIL BLOCK A EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC 25
ENVELOPE FORM FACADE PATTERN
FLOOR 3
FLOOR 1 & 2 CIRCULATION COLUMNS
ENVELOPE FORM FACADE PATTERN
LOBBY
ENTRANCE
TIMBER FACADE PATTERN
RETAIL BLOCK A
26
QUEEN ST
“LIVING AREA”
OFFICES
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” EATERY
RETAIL SHOP
PONDS
A CUSTOM ST
“LIVING AREA”
QUAY ST
EATERY
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOP “LIVING AREA”
EATERY “LIVING AREA” CAFE
“LIVING AREA”
RETAIL SHOPS
“LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA”
CULTURAL CENTRE
A “LIVING AREA”
“LIVING AREA” “LIVING AREA”
N
ALBERT ST
RETAIL BLOCK B PLAN
27
RETAIL BLOCK B SECTION
28
RETAIL BLOCK B EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC 29
GROUND FLOOR CIRCULATION COLUMNS
FLOORS 1 - 3
ENVELOPE
SKYBRIDGE BIRD’S EYE VIEW
30
STRUCTURAL FRAME
FLOORS 1 & 2
GLASS ENVELOPE
SKYBRIDGE EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC 31
SMALL BRIDGE LINKING SKYBRIDGE TO HARBOUR AVENUES
INTERIOR VIEW
SKYBRIDGE
32
33