Five designs chosen for wharf

Finalists chosen: Five finalists out of 237 entries have been chosen for the second stage of the competition.

From City Scene, published on 4 October, 2009.

Five finalists have now been selected out of an impressive 237 entries, as the Queens Wharf Opening the Red Gates design competition enters its exciting second stage.

They are design numbers 024 (Andrius Gedgaudas, Architect, Shanghai China), 046 (Den Aitken, Pete Griffins and Hamish Foote, Field Landscape Architecture, Auckland), 170 (David Gibbs and Aaron Sills, Construkt/SVB, Auckland), 195 (John Coop, Tasman Studio, Auckland) and 216 (Simon Williams, Williams Architects Ltd, Auckland).

The designs were chosen for their ability to strike the right balance between meeting the need for a great space for the public to enjoy, the ability to act as a major celebration venue during 2011 Rugby World Cup (and other future events), and the need for a world-class cruise-ship terminal.

The five were approved by ministers Murray McCully and Gerry Brownlee, Auckland Regional Council (ARC) chairman Mike Lee and Mayor of Auckland city, Hon. John Banks, on the recommendation of the chief executives of Ministry of Economic Development, ARC and Auckland City Council. The executives were assisted by an expert advisory panel who also took into consideration public feedback.

Organisers have been delighted with the large response they have received from those entering the competition, which included designs from school children.

"The five chosen have the best potential to be further developed to achieve the goals of this development," say competition organisers.

"The finalists' designs are really a starting point for the work that will take place over the next three weeks refining and further developing designs, as well as taking into account the comments from over 2000 public feedback forms received so far."

The Opening the Red Gates design competition winner will be announced in November.

Visit the official Queens Wharf website view the final five designs.