Hamilton’s riverside park, Victoria on the River is still gaining accolades, picking up another award 18 months after it was formally opened.

The terraced amphitheatre style park, on Hamilton’s main street, claimed a Merit Award in the Civic and Arts Property Category at this month’s Property Council of New Zealand Property Industry Awards held at Auckland’s Spark Arena.

Engineering firm AECOM, a key partner in the Victoria on the River project, entered the awards with support from Hamilton City Council which owns and manages the site on behalf of the people of the city.

In their comments, the judges noted Victoria on the River was “a fabulous design, which has been achieved with a relatively small budget and has yielded huge results for the local community, through improved connectivity – both physical and social.”

Projects entered in the New Zealand Property Awards were judged on a set of criteria: economic and financial factors, project vision and innovation, design and construction, owner and user satisfaction and sustainability and efficiency of operation.

Graeme Fletcher, AECOM’s Group Director Buildings and Places says the Victoria of the River recognition is particularly special for AECOM because of its impact on the Hamilton CBD.

“Making cities better for the people who live and work in them is what we do,” Mr Fletcher says.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see a project which brings the best of the AECOM engineering teams together with our creative precinct building design and planning group. We are grateful to the team at Hamilton City Council for the vision and backing and we know the space will be a key part of the city and riverside experience for many years to come.”

Maria Barrie, the Council’s Parks and Recreation Manager, says AECOM was crucial to the success of the Victoria on the River project.

“AECOM was our lead consultant and took responsibility for converting the Edwards-White concept into a design Schick constructed. A key part was translating the vision into something affordable without losing the special elements making it such a successful place for the community,” Ms Barrie says.

“It’s that kind of clever thinking enabling the Council to realise the River Plan vision and outcomes.”

The award is the latest in a slew of accolades for the popular inner-city park:

• 2018 – NZIA New Zealand Architecture Award, Planning and Urban Design.
• 2018 – NZIA Waikato / Bay of Plenty Architecture Award, Planning and Urban Design.
• 2018 – Designers Institute of New Zealand, Best Awards, Gold Spatial Public and Institutional Spaces.
• 2018 – We are Waikato, Property Council Judges Choice Award Winner.

The background to the Victoria on the River site, an overview of the project, and a timelapse video showing construction of the park, can be found at www.hamilton.govt.nz/votr

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