Base Spaces
Transitional Space Management
Client — Eke Panuku Development Auckland
2022 — current
Wynyard Quarter, Tāmaki Makaurau
Since early 2022 we have been working with Eke Panuku and the Mana Whenua Forum to encourage the public to come engage, experience, and enjoy the newly opened Base Spaces down behind Silo Park, with the long-term goal of using the learnings from this project to inform the development of the proposed headland park precinct.
The open and untreated nature of the site provided opportunities and challenges for this project, and while initial observations and feedback from existing site users highlighted that people enjoyed using the wide open space for recreation (in particular for active modes such as roller skating, cycling, and skate boarding, and for sports such as basketball and soccer), they were missing some basic amenities such as shade, shelter, and seating.
Working with this information, we have strengthened existing site users’ connections to the space through the provision of the Skate Kit, Ride Concept, and a linear park, and we have encouraged new users to visit the space with the Storytelling Container, Dance Container, flags, and Art Displays.
These interventions are supported by ongoing feedback and observation, and the data from this monitoring is used to inform the design, development, and delivery of new interventions which improve the onsite outcomes, and connect people even more to this exciting new public space.
Skate Kit
Working closely with local skate groups East Skate Club and Young Guns Skate School, we have designed, delivered, and activated a suite of new ramps and obstacles for skaters, scooters, and cyclists to enjoy and to enhance their experience of the site. This intervention is one of our most popular in the space, and it is constantly used by skaters of all ability levels to practise their skills or just hang out with their friends and family.
Ride Concept
Designed to use existing assets from the waterfront’s kit of parts, the Ride Concept uses fun games and storytelling to encourage people on wheels to practise their skills by exploring a regularly-updated circuit to answer questions or solve puzzles. The colourful planter boxes and astroturf mats bring colour and shade to the space, and provide a living presence to the base spaces.
Linear Park
Using astroturf, planter boxes, and furniture, we have created a linear park to soften the asphalt surface of the base spaces to both invite people to visit the space, and encourage them to stay. Through providing shade, shelter, seating, and colour, the linear park is popular with site users who are looking to escape from the weather, and it is a popular spot for families and friends to picnic or hang out while they use the other elements within the space.
Storytelling Container
The Storytelling Container is a shipping container fitted out with seating, a publicly-accessible sound system, and a curated audio library to welcome visitors to rest, reflect, listen, and learn. Utilising a bluetooth receiver and QR code library, the container enables anyone with a smartphone to connect, scan, and push play to listen to a range of stories and podcasts. The content is easily adaptable, and will be changed and updated over time to amplify the voice of the Te Ara Tukutuku process as the headland park is developed.
Dance Mirror Container
Inspired in part by the creativity and confidence of Auckland K. Pop community dancing against the reflective windows of buildings in Central Auckland, the Dance Mirror Container is a custom-built shipping container with a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling mirror and publicly-accessible sound system to enable anyone with a bluetooth enabled device to roll up, connect, and cut loose.
Flags
Using their height, movement, and colour, our waterfront flags provide a wayfinding tool for people moving through the waterfront, and encourage people to visit the base spaces. Working with designs created both internally and by local artists, the regularly-updated content responds to both the immediate environment and wider social influences. These flags will also be used as a canvas to highlight the works of emerging artists through our EOI process, which has been developed alongside Eke Panuku and the Mana Whenua Forum.
Art Displays
Our large-format art displays provide a flexible canvas for both established and emerging visual artists to display their work. Using a modular construction, the art displays can be easily moved around the waterfront to provide an exhibition space which encourages visitors to visit, engage, and stay. The content of this gallery has primarily included established visual artists, however our EOI process aims to encourage emerging artists to apply to display their work in this popular public space.