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Project by
Location
Wellington Central, Wellington
Year of completion
2008
Building style
Contemporary

Named after a former pa and ancient stream running under the reclaimed land, Kumutoto was originally masterplanned by Studio Pacific before design development of the open space was undertaken in association with Isthmus Group.

The design approach identified and drew on the site’s key characteristics: the wharf ‘promenade’, the Kumutoto stream, the city grid, and the harbour. The Wharf Plaza has been extended to expand the city grid through a new fixed wharf and floating pontoon. At Kumutoto Plaza, the stream is revealed and celebrated by pulling the edge of the water back into the city, declaiming the former carpark and creating a stream mouth.

Historically the wharf surface was covered in timber setts that had been subsequently buried under layers of asphalt, and these have been carefully recycled and re-laid. A sequence of light-pole structures, trees and seats create a procession between the city and the harbour, offering a variety of opportunities for occupation and movement. Other surface materials used throughout the precinct were selected for their texture and robustness. Pohutukawa are set in a scattered grid of square planters.

A stunning new sculptural bridge is suspended low across the water. The south end is supported and framed by a pair of concrete columns recalling a tower crane. This crane structure acts like a beacon, drawing passers-by along the path of the ancient stream into the precinct, where they can wander through, pause and enjoy Kumutoto’s striking spaces at the very edge of the city.

Studio Pacific Architecture
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About the
Professional

Shaping Our Pacific Future – We are a cross-disciplinary architecture, interior, landscape and urban design practice shaping a more sustainable and people-centric built environment across the buildings, neighbourhoods, cities, and landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Studio Pacific was established in 1992 by friends and colleagues Evžen NovákNick Barratt-Boyes, and Stephen McDougall. After working in the UK and Europe, the three architects were drawn back home by a shared desire to form a collaborative and innovative practice in Te Whanganui-a-Tara – Wellington.

They opened an architecture studio ‘of the Pacific’, applying their creativity to projects that engaged with, and elevated, context and culture. Over the years, this has grown into a compelling manifesto to shape our collective Pacific future, where people and the planet are at the heart of our built environment.

Today, we are a team of around 100 – including architects, urban designers, landscape architects, interior designers and business professionals. We bring diversity in thinking and design, and a democratic culture ensures clever ideas come from all corners of the practice, not necessarily from those who have been here the longest.

Open-minded, collaborative and creative, our practice has evolved into a leading and award-winning business, working on a wide range of exciting projects that seek to make Aotearoa New Zealand a better place.