Architecture Reclaimed: Building on the Margin Bayswater Marina Site Report
8.
Access (Bus/Motor Vehicle/Bicycle)
7. Waitemata Harbour Takapuna Boating Club Shoal Bay
N
6.
3. Haulout Yard
View towards Rangitoto Island
Breakwater View towards Harbour Bridge
5.
Car/Trailer Park
Yatch Moorings
Northern Amenity Block
Takapuna Rowing Club Chandlery/Workshop Boat Sheds
Southern Amenity Block
2.
Public Boat Ramp
4.
Wharf Park
9.
Ferry Terminal Marina Office
1..
Fuel Pump
View towards Auckland Skyline
Wind Direction Distribution
Access (Ferry)
Ngtaringa Bay
Bayswater Marina Situated in Waitemata Harbour, a sense of stillness surrounds Bayswater Marina. Despite being a short seven-minute ferry ride from the city centre, possessing breathtaking views of Auckland’s skyline and the Harbour Bridge, and acting as a transport terminal with bus and ferry links, it is not a site where people tend to slow down, or stay. Here, the site’s transience is marked by the rise and fall of the tides, westerly winds and rush of commuters passing through every hour or so. Here, in these shortlived interruptions in time, where the site’s inherent condition of stillness is disconnected and disregarded, I look at nine things that made me slow down or stay just a bit longer.
1. The Stillness
Creation
of
Reaching out into the harbour, the 90m breakwater protects the marina from the effects of weather and wave action, creating an internal condition of stillness. Slowing down the waves on one side of the breakwater into ripples on the other, the breakwater lends the site a certain sense of seclusiveness and serenity. With the site, in its current state, merely acting as transport terminal and thoroughfare with short bursts of activity, what is needed is a way in which to slow people down and make them stay in order to appreciate the stillness – what is needed is a breakwater for people.
2. Floating Breakwater
on
the
The breakwater used for walking, jogging and fishing is one of the few ways in which the site facilitates interaction between the public and the water’s edge. Here, the feeling of floating, whilst being surrounded by expanses of water on both sides when walking along the breakwater is deeply immersive, and the gentle sway of the structure as result of the force of the waves, calming. This level of engagement with the water by the public as well as the sense of tranquillity that is in conflict to the site acting as a transport terminal and thoroughfare should not be limited to the breakwater alone but rather be something aspired for throughout the site.
3. The Marina
Masts
and
the
Encircling the site and always in view, an array of masts projecting into the sky, reflect onto the surface of the water allowing for the appreciation of the stillness created by the breakwater. Here, the masts instil a sense of seclusion, screening off the city only seven minutes away, transforming the marina into its own private haven. Preserving the picturesque views of the marina, a certain degree of seclusion from its surrounds, and the necessity for stillness in order to create moments of reflection both external and internal is essential if people are to stay.
4. Connection / Disconnection to the City Projecting out into the Harbour, the wharf creates a strong axial connection to the city whilst the act of suspension over a body of water allows for immersion into the scene in front – of ferries coming and going, and the Auckland skyline behind. The body of water simultaneously brings into awareness the distance between the city on one side of the Waitemata Harbour and the Marina on the other. This connection to the central city in terms of access and views yet sense of separation that exists between the chaos of the city and the calmness of the marina – a getaway not-so-faraway if you will – is to the site’s advantage and as such requires careful consideration.
5. Shelter The Takapuna Rowing Club, a long, tin shed blocking the cold Sou’westerlies, and the large trees east of it, form one of the few sheltered spaces on site. A flat, open site located on the water’s edge, Bayswater Marina is largely exposed to the Westerly winds sweeping across the Harbour. For the site to be successfully used and for people to stay, consideration needs to be given to the planning of the site and the ways in which even outdoor areas can be protected from the weather, and as such enjoyed by the public.
6. The Takapuna Boating Club Perched half on the ground and half in the water, The Takapuna Boating Club sits on site with a quaint grandeur of what once was. Approaching the building from the water’s edge it is easy to admire the picturesque building and reminisce what it once could have been without knowing its history it is essential to not only to reflect upon the past, but to respect the identity and authenticity of the site and the relationships it may have fostered between its place in time, its site and the people who passed through. Established in 1914 and built by club volunteers, and now recognized as an historic building with plans for restoration, the Takapuna Boat Club
7. Unexpected Reflections With views of a sunset, the outlook west overlooking the water’s edge, offers another moment of stillness on site. The site offers a place for both external reflections in its ability to offer expansive views of the Harbour as well as a place for internal reflection on a more spiritual level found in the sites inherent seclusion and serenity. With the practice of reflection taking place next to bodies of water in many cultures including Maori, the site offers a picturesque location to contemplate the ebb and flow of life. However, reflection requires stillness. If the site is to be a place for contemplation, moments of stillness need to be both portected and created.
8. Steps Down to the Water The steps down to the water, north of the site are a welcomed way to engage with the water, providing another point of reflection for both waves and people. With no real forms of access down to the water’s edge intended for the public other then boat ramps, a place to sit and dip your feet or simply watch the crashing waves is reason enough to stay on site. For the site to act as more than a transport terminal and thoroughfare, better access down into the water will provide a deeper engagement with the site and aid in enhancing the its naturally relaxing atmosphere.
9. The Ferry Terminal Sought out in the rain as some-sort of shelter and stayed in for a short period of time, the small octagonal space designated to be the Bayswater Ferry Terminal is very much a transitional space between the city and the marina as opposed to a place to wait. Despite acting as a transport terminal with bus and ferry links, the site demonstrates no culture of waiting. Here, commuters arrive and depart as efficiently as possible, perhaps due to the timely and less frequent arrival of ferries. It is therefore necessary to provide shelter for the regular commuters so as to make their journey to and from, and experience of the site more pleasant but at the same time recognize the small scale intervention required to accommodate the few and far-between catching the ferry.