Waitematā Harbour’s original shoreline and Māori astronomy are celebrated in the design of the newest Wynyard Quarter laneway.
Meaning to shine, glimmer and light the way, Tīramarama Way runs east-west between Halsey and Daldy streets.
More than 480,000 dots have been sandblasted on the laneway to represent Auckland’s 1841 waterfront, while a light display above it maps stars and constellations important to Māori astronomy, including Te Punga – Southern Cross, and Matariki.
Creating a new waterfront neighbourhood
Waitematā Local Board Acting Chair Shale Chambers says the laneways opening is another step towards achieving a 2012 Waterfront Plan aim of creating a new city waterfront neighbourhood in the Quarter.
“Since the Quarter welcomed its first residents, it’s been great to watch it shaping up nicely as Auckland’s newest neighbourhood," says Chambers.
“While parts of the Quarter are transforming to meet the needs of a growing community, it remains a go-to destination for people who want fresh and exciting things in the city.”
Panuku Development Auckland, the city’s redevelopment agency, partnered with Downer NZ to develop Tīramarama Way over seven months. Its design was a collaboration between landscape architect Megan Wraight and artist Lisa Reihana.
Many of the laneway’s design features reflect a commitment to supporting sustainability, with burrow planters acting as small rain gardens, a real-life garden beneath the ground that allows the nikau grove and other greenery to flourish, and grooves carved into the laneway to form puddles that rise and fall with the tides and provide an opportunity for play.
The next phase of construction will see the laneway extended from Daldy Street to Beaumont Street, the timing yet to be confirmed.
