Teams chosen for WWI memorial in Auckland Domain

Auckland Mayor Len Brown. Photo / Supplied

Five consortiums have been chosen to design a $3 million World War I civic memorial in Auckland Domain.

The five teams selected are a mix of local and international firms, including one from Sydney and one from San Francisco. The successful teams are made up of a mixture of architects, landscape architects, artists, historians, visitor experience experts, archaeologists, planners, quantity surveyors and specialist engineers.

Mayor Len Brown said the vision for the memorial is that it be a feature about the effects of conflict on the wider community, not solely on military service.

"It's important the memorial relates particularly to Auckland and all of the city's people," he said.

The memorial will be located on the northern slopes of the Domain and complete the Auckland War Memorial complex, said councillor Mike Lee, who chairs the memorial working party.

The winning design is expected to be chosen in February/March and the goal is to complete the memorial by the centennial of the end of the Great War in 2018, he said.

"The proposed centenary memorial is to honour not just the fallen and those soldiers who did return, but also their families and all those generations of Aucklanders personally affected by the consequences of the Great War - and all wars.

"Within the guidelines set out in the brief, the final design and aesthetic details have been left with room for some creativity. Albeit we are requiring, as the people of Auckland would expect, that the proposed memorial must respect, harmonise with and complement the Auckland War Memorial Museum building and Cenotaph," Mr Lee said.

The council has $1 million in the long-term plan for the project and is talking with the Government about a contribution from a fund for regional centennial war memorials.

Individuals may also choose to contribute once they see the design, Mr Lee said.

A total of 88 companies or individuals viewed the Expressions of Interest documents and 14 submissions were received.

The teams are:
• Auckland environmental planning and design consultancy Boffa Miskell, in association with Auckland artist Lisa Reihana and Matthews & Matthews Architects
• Australian architects Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (fjmt), in conjunction with Auckland architects Jasmax and designTRIBE
• Auckland architecture firm Isthmus, in conjunction with Auckland artist Bernard Makoare and Christchurch landscape architect Jacky Browning
• New Zealand architects Warren and Mahoney, in conjunction with San Francisco landscape architects Surfacedesign Inc, Rotorua artist Henriata Nicholas, Auckland artist Lisa Reihana, and Auckland-based museum and gallery consultancy ObjectLab
• New Zealand firm Wraight Athfield Landscape + Architecture, in conjunction with Auckland artist Ross Hemera