Integrating communities: A Chinese garden in Auckland

Abstract

With the large numbers of Chinese immigrants to other countries around the world, more and more ‘Chinatowns’ (Figure1&2) and Chinese community centers have been built to serve their daily lives. As a nation of immigrants, New Zealand welcomes people from any culture. In New Zealand, there are about 160,000 Chinese immigrants, of which almost 65% have settled in the Auckland region.1 For those people who live far away from their homeland, especially older Chinese, it is very hard for them to integrate into the local community. Thus, the meaning of a Chinese community centre for them is not only to meet their physical needs, but also spiritual needs. Emerging from the long-term planning of the Mt Albert council, is an opportunity to design a Chinese community centre at the western edge of Chamberlain Park golf course. As the news said, ‘The long-awaited Chinese garden and performing arts centre are included in all four design options’.2 The proposed Chinese garden will attract more Chinese to come visit. The Chinese community centre will support the visitors and also the daily lives of the surrounding neighbourhood. ‘Garden Architecture’ (Figure.3) was a very important form in ancient China and is still a symbol of Chinese culture nowadays. The idea of ‘Garden Architecture’ comes from Chinese culture and philosophy and is expressed by Chinese people in their daily lives. A Chinese community centre for Chinese immigrants to help integrate and meet the physical and spiritual needs of Chinese is quite necessary. Using the idea of ‘Garden Architecture’ to design the community centre could evoke the memory of their lives in China. Thus, in this paper, to design a community centre which facilitates integration with the idea of a Chinese garden, is the purpose of my thesis.