Frank Kitts Park, Wellington New Zealand

Frank Kitts Park, Wellington New Zealand

HBO+EMTB's concept for the redesign of this waterfront site improves its poor connection to the city and incorporates a Chinese Garden whose structure and meaning is underpinned by the philosophy of Feng Shui. The Feng Shui study of the surrounding landscape identified Chinese mountain and water dragons. It is the figurative movement of these dragons through the landform and bay that is retold in the scheme.

The park is reconfigured to slope to the water with a sea walk extending the park into the harbour and providing a place from which to view the Dragon Boat Races. The scheme uses Chinese design principles, concentrating the heart of the park around a tea house at the centre of the waterfront edge. An underground car park is reconfigured to allow a smaller circular footprint which diminishes the bulk of the structure whilst a new cafe is incorporated into the curving walls with magnificent views of the harbour from the terraces.