The government remediation of New Zealand’s “most contaminated site”, a former chemical fertilizer plantin the small rural town of Mapua, left the site bare, emotionally scarred, unused and fiscally under resourced. Remediation capped the site, but countered re-inhabitation: even planting trees is problematic when digging deeper than a spade depth calls for “men in white coats.”
Funding for an upgrade of the town’s services questioned how architecture might start offsite as something else,and over time extendto the remediated landscape andstimulate community use. Architecture becomes a kit of parts to initiate change: sheet fencing encloses plant but uncloses park entry, slabs cap sewage tanks but rise to seating, roofing covers plant but uncovers public shelter.
Elements combine to reference the scale and typology of the surrounding horticulture buildings, with materials kept rural and raw,yet progressive and durable: naturally finished in-situ and exposed-aggregate concretes, yellow frc-grated walkways, weathering steel, hardwood timbers.
The services plant a seed and the park begins to grow and correct the landscape back to its community. The park now has shelter buildings, public amenities, a performance amphitheatre, spaces to play and unwind... a place in the community, a sustainable future.
