Te Nukutai o Tapoa - Naval Point - Stage 3
A new public recreational landscape deeply grounded in collaboration with CCC, NgÄti Wheke and the local stakeholders at Naval Point, WhakaraupĹ - Lyttelton.
The 7000m2 project area includes new courts, a change pavilion serving the adjacent sports fields, a nature playspace and a 200m long landscape featuring cultural narrative, storytelling and over 2000m2 of biodiverse plantings.
Developed with Christchurch City Council and NgÄti Wheke, a key cultural landscape narrative is Ki uta ki tai â âFrom the Hills to the Harbourâ. Over 70 species are planted as an ecological transect, creating a flourishing ecosystem that educates and guides visitors through a locally indigenous landscape.
The design draws on the local vernacular, repurposing LPC wharf timbers, using rusticated metals, and yellow handrails that echo nearby tanks. Wharf timbers express the original seabed depths, while the wheke (octopus) inspires a mounded playspace which was designed through collaborative workshops with the adjacent Sea Scouts. It is a project designed for the locals, with the locals â people and wildlife alike.
Client and Cultural Partners:
Christchurch City Council
NgÄti Wheke
Collaborators:
Cultural narrative and artwork: Caine Tauwhare (NgÄti Wheke)
Civil and Project Management: Paradigm Consulting / Projectum
Implementation: Waitohu Landscapes / Watts and Hughes / Forever Green
