Making place : architecture reflective of Auckland city[’s diversity]

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: How can architecture create and sustain a ‘sense of place,’ in a culturally diverse city, such as Auckland? How can multiculturalism be represented with architecture?

ABSTRACT: Place is a multifaceted phenomenon. We experience it as the coherence of locale; geographic features; architectural presence; people, their routine and personal experiences; and in the context of other places. When we talk about place in terms of a city, we need to understand that we share places and contribute to them collectively as a society. They in turn convey our stories. The story of Aotearoa begins with the arrival of Maori settlers, who migrated to this land from Polynesia. Later European settlers arrived, bringing people of other nationalities with them. Over the course of time, many people ventured to Aotearoa for different reasons. Some came in search of adventure, while others came looking for jobs and/or a better life. People of Aotearoa are united in their migratory journey to this new land; they left their place of origin in search of a new home, bringing with them the stories of their past. Migration of people to Aotearoa New Zealand, has resulted in its diversity. This is most evident in Auckland City; whose residents belong to 180 different ethnicities. The natural and built environment of Auckland is beginning to share the narrative of a bi-cultural society, but representation of the rising multiculturalism of our city is insufficient. Rising from a personal need to establish a ‘sense of place’, this research project addresses the need for public architecture that provides the opportunity to embrace and display the diversity of Auckland city. Investigating the concept of place; public space; migration as a collective memory; and contextual understanding of Auckland city, has resulted in Architecture of diversity. The resulting architectural outcome is the Museum of Migration, which displays the migratory history of Aotearoa through exhibitions and street style artisan market. This project inhabits Pukekawa hill at the Auckland Domain, serving as an extension to the existing Auckland War Memorial Museum.