10 April 2013

Auckland scoops national landscape architecture awards

Auckland’s streetscapes, play spaces and parks have received an unprecedented number of accolades at the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards with over 25 of the 53 awards presented to Auckland projects.

Auckland Council open space projects such as Ocean View Road Pocket Park and Hobsonville Point Park picked up three excellence awards and four distinction awards.

The city centre and waterfront featured particularly strongly including Elliott and Darby Street shared spaces, Jellicoe Street and Wynyard Playspace. The soon to be constructed Daldy Street Linear Park in the Wynyard Quarter waterfront precinct took out the overall 2013 Sustainability Award of Excellence in the Landscape Design - Visionary Landscapes section.

A number of natural environments were also recognised with Sustainability Awards of Excellence including the Judges Bay project, which has also won further acknowledgement at the International Federation of Landscape Architects conference, being hosted in Auckland this week.

Mayor Len Brown says, “These projects are all shining examples of successful collaboration with industry experts, local boards and council officers. It’s great to see such wide ranging recognition across Auckland in the awards.

“Auckland is a truly great city with a natural beauty that rates well above any others worldwide. To make it the world’s most liveable city, we need to match that raw beauty with quality design to create urban landscapes, parks and recreational spaces that people want to be in and enjoy.

“The recognition at these prestigious awards tells me that we’re well on the way to making that happen. By raising the bar of landscape architecture, we are increasing pride in Auckland and producing a sense of place and identity that is critical to creating a quality compact city,” said Mayor Len Brown.

Monday night’s award ceremony, held at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki, saw more than 50 awards handed out to members of the NZILA around New Zealand and across the world.

According to Ludo Campbell-Reid, Design Champion for Auckland Council, “The quality of the public realm says a lot about our society. It is an expression of our people and our attitude. As we grow and mature as a city, and as we compete globally for inward investment, we must provide for a quality environment for our current and future citizens.

“Well designed and attractive people-friendly open spaces and streetscapes, parks and lanes are the lungs of our city and are critical to our wellbeing. They can lift our spirits. This is exactly what these projects are doing.”

More than half of the NZILA Awards were given to projects involving Auckland Council including:

• Elliot and Darby Street Area Upgrade - NZILA Award of Excellence
• Daldy Street Linear Park - NZILA Award of Excellence and Sustainability Award of Excellence
• Te Wero Island and the Eastern Viaduct - Resene Colour Award of Excellence
• Jellicoe Street, North Wharf, Silo Park - NZILA Award of Excellence
• Wynyard Playspace - NZILA Award of Excellence
• Taurarua Judges Bay - NZILA Award of Excellence (and shortlisted for International Federation of Landscape Architects)
• Newmarket Streetscapes - NZILA Award of Excellence
• Ocean View Road Pocket Park - NZILA Award of Excellence
• Cliff Face Park - NZILA Award of Excellence
• Urban Estuaries: Whau and Tamaki - NZILA Award of Excellence

More details on some of the award-winning projects can be found on the Auckland Council website or Waterfront Auckland website here

A full list of awards won can be found on www.nzila.co.nz

ENDS

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