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Civic Square Provides Focal Point For City
Hutt City Council News Release
23 March
2012
Civic Square Provides Focal Point For
City
Hutt City’s new Civic Square will
be a focal point for the city, says Mayor Ray Wallace.
“Hutt City will finally have a place to focus community activity where people can share their time together in an environment that will include trees, water features and access to an artesian fountain.”
The $2.4 million project is within budget and was formally opened on Thursday 22 March in a ceremony which included placing a 50-year time capsule in the ground.
The Civic Square is linked to The Dowse and is designed by Athfield Architects and Wraight + Associates who designed Wellington’s award-winning Waitangi Park.
“We have had the official opening of the square and the first public opportunity to experience the life and energy being created within the space is the Big Day Dowse on Sunday. This will be an annual event.
“The square is a living space with 23 new trees to be planted and the large scale art work of John Reynolds will comprise 46 large Titoki trees and 12 Nikau which will take the shape of rooms made of trees,” said the Mayor. “The landscaping and living artworks in the square, like Waitangi Park, will take some years to grow and truly make their mark.
A pond is also being developed alongside the council’s iSite building which already has an extended deck linking into the Civic Square. The pond will feature a new work, titled “Fallen Robot,” by another of New Zealand's most significant contemporary artists, Ronnie van Hout.
“There is still a lot of construction work to be done including drilling a well for the fountain which will tap into the aquifiers running below the city.”
This work will begin within the next few days and the E Tu Hutt Public Arts Trust is creating a sculpture to sit atop the artesian water bore. It will be similar to the popular Te Puni Wai Ora spring at Buick Street, Petone.
“We believe the new Civic Square is a valuable investment for our future and supports our aspirations to grow the heart of the city,” said the Mayor.
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