St Patrick's Square wins top Landscape Architects Award

Auckland’s popular urban oasis, St Patrick’s Square, has won the George Malcolm Supreme Award at the 2010 New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Awards.

Awarded to Boffa Miskell, the council’s designers, the awards honour the country’s best landscape architecture and highlights the importance good landscape architecture plays in creating distinctive urban landscapes.

Auckland City Council’s upgrade of St Patrick’s Square, completed in September 2009, successfully transformed this special area of the central city into a distinctive destination. 

Boffa Miskell, who have developed designs across a number of streetscapes within Auckland’s CBD, were engaged to develop a design that captured the essence of the square.

Located in front of one of the city’s most beautiful buildings, the recently restored St Patrick’s Cathedral, the restrained, considered and unique design speaks of a unique ‘sense of place’.

What was once an under-utilised space has become an elegant and very popular urban oasis – the only significant area of green space between mid-city and the waterfront.

Councillor Greg Moyle, Chair of the Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee, says the design of St Patrick's Square was developed with input from nearby residents, businesses, square users, St Patrick’s Cathedral and the public.

“The design reflects how people wanted to use the space. Boffa Miskell have created a high quality, safe, attractive place that invites and encourages social interaction. We wanted to retain and enhance the ‘urban oasis’ and celebrate the square’s heritage, and its relationship with St Patrick’s Cathedral. The increasing number of people visiting, spending time or passing through the square is evidence that we have achieved that.

“This award recognises the careful consideration and hard work by everyone involved in the project, as well as the fabulous outcome.” he says.

Connal Townsend, Chair of the CBD board says, “The creation of fantastic public spaces like St Patrick’s Square is a catalyst for attracting new business and better quality private sector developments, and this supports the vision for the CBD. It’s fantastic to have national recognition for such a great project. “

New water features, artworks by Auckland artists Steve Woodward and Mary-Louise Browne, high quality paving, seating areas, grass, trees and vegetation have transformed the square. The square is now a great place for residents, families to bring children to play, workers to enjoy lunch  and friends to catch up.

The $9.2m upgrade, funded by CBD business and residents via a special CBD targeted rate, is part of the council's 10-year programme to transform key streets and open spaces to create a world-class, vibrant and dynamic business and cultural centre.

Another council project, the development of Stonefields and Bluestone parks in Mt Wellington, was also recognised at the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Awards, where it won two silver awards. The Stonefields project was a collaboration between Natural Habitats, James Lord, Todd Property Group, Auckland City Council and their respective staff and contractors who worked together to deliver two high quality parks in a new medium density housing development in Mt Wellington.

Ends

Full list of parties involved in the St Patrick’s Square upgrade

Landscape Architects: Boffa Miskell
Traffic Planning Consultants
JAWA Structures Ltd
Hugh Fendall Consultants Ltd
Lighting Design Partnerships
Sports Surface Design and Management
Artists: Steve Woodward; Mary-Louise Browne
Arb-solutions Ltd
WT Partnership Ltd
Designsource Ltd
Specimen Tree Company
City Parks Services
HUB Street Equipment Ltd
Contractor: JFC Ltd

Streetscapes and open places upgrade programme

In 2004, a 10 year programme to transform the CBD’s streets and open spaces into a high quality urban environment was developed by the council. The budget for the programme is $162.5 million, of which $81.5 million is from the CBD targeted rate, a special rate paid for by CBD businesses and residents. Since 2004 Queen Street, Quay Street, Lorne Street, Karangahape Road, Swanson Street, Vulcan Lane, Lower Khartoum Place and now St Patrick’s Square have been successfully upgraded. Aotea Square is currently under construction. Elliott, Darby, Lorne, Rutland and the Fort Street area are next in line. For more information on all these projects visit www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/cbd

Auckland’s CBD into the future strategy

The streetscapes and open places upgrade programme is part of Auckland City Council’s CBD into the future strategy, a 10-year action plan that began in 2004 investing $965 million to transform and revitalise Auckland's CBD and the waterfront.