2016 Wellington Architecture Awards Winner
Pukeahu National War Memorial Park
The layering and melding of a new underground tunnel with an overhead public park is a very welcome alternative to what was once a simple road. Vehicles and pedestrians are so well separated that when you are in the park, the tunnel is non-existent, although when you are driving through the tunnel, the experience is improved by visual connections to the park. The sculptural arrangement of layered-concrete panels lifts the tunnel aesthetic, and this layering is echoed on the park through subtle terracing. Two "portals", adjacent to both Tory and Taranaki Streets, create a strong Pacific presence. These uplifting shapes and intricate worked-timber ceilings are very powerful when lit at night. These magnificent grounds finally provide the National War Museum with a setting that is appropriate to its significance.
- Practice
- Athfield Architects Limited
- Category
- Public Architecture
- Location
- Wellington
