Entry received from: Taupō District Council
Category: The Beca Award for Placemaking
The Taupō Town Centre Transformation (TTCT) project aims to create a quality urban environment that takes advantage of the outstanding natural assets which we are blessed with, that tells the stories that are unique to the Taupō District, and that gives visitors and locals alike a sense of connection to the whenua, lake and mountains in a way that is unique to Taupō.
The TTCT project was divided into four phrases: the first three of these entailed the diversion of traffic around - instead of through - the central business district by upgrading and changing road layouts; the fourth phase, saw the removal of the lakefront roadway where it intersects the CBD and the creation of a pedestrian precinct that contains a new Ātea (meeting) space, carved pou, contemporary stainless steel sculptures, design motifs, and storytelling signage, all of which was created by combined project team made up of council staff and local creatives Delani Brown and Kingi Pitiroi in cooperation with the Tauhara Hikuwai hapū and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
Thank you to our category sponsor