“Keep it Pumping” : breathing new life into redundant storage tanks

Abstract

What is an appropriate and relevant design for the adaptive reuse of existing storage tanks on Auckland’s waterfront, which reintegrates them in a suitable way to their redeveloped environment while still retaining their historical and structural significance?

This research project focuses on the adaptive re-use of an urban tank farm. Tank farms are often located in waterfront locations. With city waterfronts undergoing regeneration for realisation of valuable waterfront land for new purposes, the future of these farms is uncertain.

What is the reuse potential of the tanks, and how can they be integrated into the design of an urban area without losing their historical significance?

The site that provides the opportunity to investigate adaptive reuse strategies is the Auckland Tank Farm, located on Western Wharf, north of the Wynyard Quarter. Working with the council's current concept for the area, an architectural intervention for a group of the largest tanks on this site is presented.