Oriental Bay Circus
The Oriental Parade is one of the most simbolic places of Wellington. It represents leisure, social exchange, solitude and play, between other great wellingtonian values. It stretches in a continuous ground floor meandered along the bay. The original design for Wellington’s Band Rotunda choose this special place to combine events and encounters with the contemplation of the bay, so powerful from this area. The round shape encroaching the sea amplifies the views and perspectives at the same time that creates a reference point to the city. Since then this form is part of wellington imaginarium. The following designs of 1938 & 1985 took advantage of the shape to add new programs. But by lifting the ground floor level and creating a mid-floor, it broke the continous visual flow of the whole bay, standing as a barrier to the views.
The new proposal aims to give back the ground floor to the public, with all its freedom of uses and perceptions. Mantaining the circular shape, so present for so long in the site. For that the program devides itself in two levels: a new city ground floor under a circular ceiling that gives support to the unpredictability of life, with a block of toilets which reiforces the sense of a round piazza free to different uses and programs. And a higher ‘circus,’ accessed from the square by a semicircular ramp along the bay’s views. A big empt space for Wellington that allows social uses such as exibitions, meetings, parties and events. Covered by a tent representing the sense of play that makes all of us protagonists in the urban space. Temporary furniture and curtains could be rearraged to always adapt to currents needs and desire
Wellington, NZ
Year: 2018
Competition
Architecture:
Luiza Braga
Luca Caiaffa
