Traversing the Grafton Gully

Abstract

In the 1960’s, the Government devised new motorway plans to alleviate pressure from existing road networks, resulting in demolition around the immediate surrounding areas of Auckland city. It isolated the city from the old villages - Grafton, Parnell and Ponsonby. This thesis aims to improve the urban experience of Grafton Gully, and utilises infrastructure such as bridges and motorways as a starting point of design exploration. This thesis addresses contemporary issues of intensification in the modern city and the resultant consequence of the barren public realm. To re-establish the relationship between the Auckland Domain and the City, the architectural proposition is an inhabited bridge traversing across the Grafton Gully. Research principles such as architectural bigness, programmatic alchemy and public space were used to design the bridge. At ground level, the concourse accommodates a variety of urban activities. The marketplace-like environment is suitable for gatherings and the staggered steps for exhibitions and informal discussions, film screenings and events. In conjunction, a public pathway inhabits the building allowing for cyclists and commuters to traverse the Gully. A series of staggered floors hover over the concourse, extending at certain points to create rooftop terraces or connect to the public thoroughfare.