Waterfront Theatre Shared Spaces

Midnight in Moscow. Read on for explanation of relevance....

This image (and all the rest in this posting) have been prepared by BVNArchitecture. Last week I did a posting about a new creative space on Wynyard Quarter.... not knowing about the detailed design work that's been going on. Then  on Friday I went to the theatre.Midnight in Moscow by Auckland Theatre Company. And in the reception area was a large display of the proposed theatre on Wynyard....

The theatre is tucked in behind the ASB building. Shown by the arrow here...

This architect's view of the proposed Waterfront Theatre on Wynyard is from Halsey Street - at night. You can see the rear of the ASB building to the right. The blurb about the theatre states the project has arisen: "as a result of ASB's decision to move its HQ into the Wynyard Quarter and will comprise a fit-for-purpose stand alone 600-seat theatre, which integrates with a 200-seat auditorium in ASB's development...". 

I comment here that this "community gain" arising through a creative partnership between ASB, Auckland Theatre Company, Auckland Council grant support, private donations, and Waterfront Development Agency involvement is an exemplar/recipe that can be replicated elsewhere on Wynyard Quarter. 

This is the same perspective during daytime - according to the architects. It is important to note that the view point is from Halsey Street. This street will continue to operate as a street carrying traffic - including the tram line. So there's some licence in this image. But it's good to see visuals which emphasise pedestrian friendly transport systems. The public space of greatest interest is tucked between the buildings....

Here is how the architects see it. This is a very wide angle perspective - which tends to overstate the size of the public space. The theatre building protrudes into the space - and does not present an active frontage. Which is a lost opportunity and a risk. The blurb describes this space as: "an open courtyard which can host outdoor performances, screenings and community events, creating a dynamic destination for all visitors to the Wynyard Quarter to enjoy...".  I think this open courtyard is a very important opportunity which must not be allowed to fail because it falls between two or three planning stools (ASB, Auckland Theatre Trust, Waterfront Development Agency). This is precisely what happened to the equivalent space in Dublin (see last 3 images in this posting). What you see there now in those images of Dublin's waterfront around its waterfront theatre is the result of the first attempt failing (through lack of good design), causing the Development Agency to commission designs from a famous American Landscape Architect, Martha Schwartz, which were then implemented by the Dockland Development Agency. The building architects might hope that people will enjoy this courtyard. But it will only succeed if good landscape design thinking is applied.

This is the rear of the proposed theatre, viewed across Madden Street. Again - great to see lots of people in the architect's picture - but the reality is that unless care and attention is applied to the design of the central courtyard, how the uses of it are shared (for example - what assumptions are that it will be available for casual parking, as a corridor for access to ASB's carparks, as a service lane for deliveries?). These are the kinds of activities that will kill the vision that leaps from these images. 

Think about "Midnight in Wynyard". Think about what is needed in this courtyard to truly make it a destination, a public courtyard that is successful, a place for people, adding to the experience of Auckland's waterfront.