New Britomart design visual treat

By BERNARD ORSMAN

Rail passengers will arrive in Auckland to a backdrop of volcanic cones, ferns, bamboo and waterfalls according to the winning design for the city's $194 million Britomart transport centre.

Mario Madayag, a Californian architect who worked on the $2.5 billion Getty Centre on the ridgeline of the Santa Monica Mountains, was last night selected from seven finalists to transform the dilapidated Britomart precinct into a rail, bus and ferry transport hub at the bottom of Queen St.

He is being helped by Jasmax Architects, which designed Wellington's Te Papa Museum, and a firm of Californian landscape architects.

Between them they plan a museum-like transformation of the old Chief Post Office with crushed glass and basalt volcanic cones between the underground platforms, ferns, bamboo and two giant waterfalls before passengers head up to an open-air atrium that will lead out to Queen St.

Mr Madayag, who worked with Maori and many people in the arts community to create his vision, and Jasmax director Greg Boyden said they were aiming to create a sense of Auckland at Britomart.

Mr Madayag moved to New Zealand in July last year for lifestyle reasons and to restore the historic Landmark House in Queen St.

Now the 42-year-old is in charge of designing the most exciting redevelopment project in the city since the Viaduct Basin, which he plans to link up with the transport centre.

As well as a makeover of the Chief Post Office, Mr Madayag is planning a subway linking the railway station with the old Ferry Building and Queen St.

Queen Elizabeth Square would be transformed into a meeting place with provision for light rail, a nikau palm grove and a pine forest outside the Downtown Shopping Centre. There are plans to cross Quay St to develop Queen's Wharf.

A pedestrian walkway is planned from Britomart Place to Queen Elizabeth Square, with other walkways running in a north-south line to the waterfront. Where the current bus terminal is located, Mr Madayag has designed a market plaza with a large circular pond.

The 3.5ha Britomart block would retain many of its historic buildings, but some low-level development sites are included for a mix of residential, commercial and retail development. There are plans to demolish the Britomart carpark for a cinema complex.

Professor John Hunt, convener of the judging panel, said key features of the winning design were the central role of the Chief Post Office as a transport interchange, the retention of heritage buildings and a combination of open spaces, streetscapes and lanes offering a friendly pedestrian environment. "It also retains enough flexibility to cope with future project requirements."

The council, which canned the original Britomart project in November 1998, has still to give final approval to the replacement scheme.

Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher, who has led the redesign of Britomart and bringing rail back to Queen St, believes a start could be made on the project early next year.

If the council proceeds, it plans to finance the project by borrowing $132 million and seeking $40 million from Infrastructure Auckland. The council has already written off $22 million in costs from the original scheme, devised by former mayor Les Mills.

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