Public benefit Boffa Miskell designed the clean-lined public plaza that fronts the ANZ Centre

As part of the upscale podium refurbishment of the ANZ Centre, the developers, Precinct Properties, sought to significantly improve the public spaces surrounding the building. This included substantial investment into the public plaza, which matches the high quality of the adjacent public realm, St Patricks Square.

Landscape architects Boffa Miskell were brought on board at an early stage as part of the overall design team to deal with the redesign of the plaza at the base of the tower, as well as the Swanson Street and Federal Street frontages

Boffa Miskell design director, consenting phase, Rachel de Lambert, says one of the early challenges was to maintain a strong public through-site link while building over the previously open, but unattractive, pedestrian link between Albert Street and the plaza.

The firm's award-winning work on St Patrick's Square influenced this design, says landscape architect Cathy Challinor.

"There was a definite intention to visually connect the two and create a feeling of a single space," says Challinor. "From the inside of the building, you get a real sense of the new plaza landscape. The plaza borrows views of St Patricks Square, and connects you with the wider street pattern.

"The simplicity of the end result belies the design's complexity and the technical challenges on the project."

BOFFA MISKELL

PO Box 91250, Auckland 1142Phone (09) 358 2526 Fax (09) 359 5300www.boffamiskell.com info@boffamiskell.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas