Fort Street area upgrade
Overview |
About the area |
Design features
Design features
Areas of
shared space, widened footpaths, new artworks, interesting design
features, seating, vegetation, lighting and high quality stone paving will
create an attractive, interesting destination in the CBD.
Traffic access, will be retained through the area, along with the existing
provision for public transport. Parking, loading, bus stops and taxi ranks will
be rearranged to create successful pedestrian focused spaces, whilst meeting the
needs of businesses.
Fort Street west and Jean Batten Place
Artist impression of Jean Batten Place
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Artist impression of Fort Street looking toward Jean Batten Place
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Artist impression of Fort Street west
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Artist impression of Fort Lane featuring the Eyelight art work
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Artist impression - Commerce Street, looking
towards Customs Street.
Artworks
A key feature of the design is the installation of artworks to create an interesting and unique destination. This includes:
- MoanaWhenua by Wayne Youle.This is a large scale text work which
is integrated into the paving and relates to the area's foreshore origins.
- Eyelight by Swedish artist David Svensson is a neon work stretching the length of Fort Lane adding to the Lane's visual appeal at night.
Pedestrian access
The overall design will make it easier for pedestrians to move around the Fort Street area. In addition to providing more space for people, the design creates pedestrian connections between High Street and Britomart and from the city to Vector Arena.
Unique paving
The Fort Street area was once part of the city's original foreshore and this is specially reflected in the design by:
- pavement patterning which represents waves lapping against the shore line
- information engraved near key sites and heritage buildings.
Basalt paving will be used in the footpath areas in Gore and Commerce streets and in the mid block area of Fort Street.
Granite paving will be used in the shared space areas in Fort Street, Jean Batten Place and Fort Lane. Also, you may notice that the shared space areas differ from the footpath only areas with their smaller paving size and wider joints. This design takes into account the need for shared space areas to accommodate regular vehicle movements as well as foot traffic.
Vegetation
To enhance the area the design includes:
- pohutukawas running along the length of Fort Street. Pohutukawa trees reflect the area's coastal heritage and are suited to thriving in street conditions. Permeable paving around the trees enables passive watering.
- a granite planter, that will double as seating, in Jean Batten Place
- tararie trees at the Queen Street entrance to Fort Street and on the kerb extensions in Gore and Commerce streets.
Updated September 2011
