Letter seat goes away for a spell

The sculpture has been hit by cars and local office workers claim it is a hazard. Photo / Doug Sherring

A battered bronze seat made of the letters "REO" has been removed from near the middle of an Auckland street for repairs.

Auckland Council promises the $95,000 seat will be returned to Lorne St - but not back to the exact spot.

Last month the Herald on Sunday reported the council had fenced off the seat after the R was badly damaged by vehicles.

The council's "design champion" Ludo Campbell-Reid said the council was working with urban designers to choose the best spot outside the library.

He said the seat's battered state was no reason to abandon central city "shared spaces" - paved zones for cars and pedestrians.

"The concept of shared spaces for pedestrians and vehicles is relatively new to Aucklanders so it will take time for drivers to become used to road layouts and features."

Barriers are outside the library as the area needed to be repaved.

Henry Crothers of Architectus Auckland worked on the area's design with poet Robert Sullivan and graphic designer Toby Curnow.

Crothers said REO needed to be positioned to minimise chances of people whacking into it again, but Lorne St wasn't the only area where drivers were hitting street furniture.

"It's just one of the things with these shared space projects; there's an element of experimentation."