A former brown-field site, Waitangi Park redefines the concept of urban park within the Wellington coastal context. Structured around five key initiatives: the activity zone; the promenades; the cultural and historical overlays; the field and a programme of highly integrated environmental infrastructure, the park offers a multitude of recreational possibilities. Waitangi Park is a benchmark for sustainable landscape design within the Wellington Region. The park’s environmentally sustainable design and the water sensitive urban design strategy not only contribute to improved water quality but also contribute to the park’s visual appeal and character.

Cultural narrative and site history are central to the design concept, the interpretation of which is woven throughout the park’s detailing and spatial composition.

This approach, to fully integrate site interpretation into the built form, is possibly most evident in the realisation of Waitangi Stream and the Graving Dock which are both major components of the site’s Water Sensitive infrastructure and clear acknowledgements of the site’s historical past and its significance to local Iwi of The Tenths Trust.

Location: Wellington

Architect: Athfield Ltd

Government Architect Sydney 

Skate Park Specialist: Justin Wright