Abstract:
Private cars provide Aucklanders with the convenience to travel,
and they are still the most important travelling method in the
city. With the continual increase in the number of private vehicles,
car-park buildings have become an indispensable part of the
urban landscape. A large amount of urban space with extremely
high value is occupied by single-function car-parking buildings;
however, some of these buildings completely lack architectural
qualities. Fortunately, since the end of the first decade of the
21st century, Auckland Council has promoted public transportation
by investing in a series of major public projects, such as the
City Rail Link, and introducing related policies to curb the use of
private motor vehicles. With the gradual improvement of public
transportation and vehicle technology, some traditional car park
buildings will foreseeably be abandoned or made available for
reuse. Based on this assumption, this thesis will investigate the
potential reuse of one of these car park structures to offer a place
of cultural exploration to the local community.
Chinese culture is broad and profound. With the acceleration of
globalisation and the economic development of China, Chinese
culture has spread its roots all over the world. Like a jewel in the
South Pacific, New Zealand attracts a large number of Chinese
people for travel, study, work, and to live. The vast majority of
New Zealand Chinese people reside in Auckland and as a consequence,
Auckland is inevitably influenced by Asian and Chinese
culture. At the same time, however, most local Chinese communities
lack the facilities required to accommodate the increasingly
growing demand for their cultural activities.
The goal of this project is to integrate both concepts and rethink
a methodology that can maximise the value of design to contribute
to the Chinese community and benefit other Aucklanders.
