North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Arty park earns award
The newly opened Zion Hill public arts project in Birkenhead is an award winner.
The outdoor design won a bronze award in the Public and Institutional Spaces category at the Best Design Awards 2016.
Creative director Catherine Griffiths says the whole team is delighted. ‘‘We are thrilled to see Zion Hill Reserve among big guns Pukeahu and LightPathAkl.’’
Zion Hill opened in June 2016, on the piece of land opposite the Highbury Shopping Centre. The design included concrete slabs that zig zag diagonally down the hillside, dividing up grassy areas and seating spots.
The once neglected piece of land was transformed into an inviting space for the community to enjoy, as a part of the Kaipatiki Local Board’s wider Birkenhead Town Centre Plan.
Griffiths says she wanted to create a design similar to a harakeke weaving pattern, to reference communities.
‘‘I tried to put rhythm on a ground that’s loose,’’ she says.
The project was a mixed effort from Kaipatiki Local Board members, community artists, and community groups. Team members included Auckland Council parks design team, design production and decker landscapes.
The National Graphic Design Awards were established to celebrate New Zealand’s best graphic design.