Chews Lane Precinct

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The Chews Lane Precinct is located at a critical junction within Wellington city linking the CBD to the harbour and to the southern parts of the city. The development designed by Athfield Architects for developers, Willis Bond, was carried out in collaboration with the Wellington City Council who had released the block as a key urban renewalinitiative.

The project created a strong and vibrant urban precinct incorporating a mix of retail and hospitality areas clustered around well scaled public and private lanes, arcades and streets at ground level, designed to provide cohesion while articulating diversity in use, scale and heritage of the various builtcomponents.

The development was considered in two parts — the first involved the restoration of those existing buildings that were to remain on site. The objective was to ensure the continued and improved occupation and use of these buildings in such a way that they cumulatively support and enhance the entire Chews Lane Precinct. These buildings were refurbished, reconfigured and strengthened to ensure that the resulting spaces offered high quality, safe and functionalenvironments.

The second part provided a collection of new buildings and spaces incorporating elements of the existing buildings that have been substantially demolished. The new buildings complement, in use and design, the retained and refurbished buildings and spaces to offer a vibrant mix of activity and urban infrastructure from street to high level. A key component of the development was the construction of a new office building along the edge of the lane contributing to a great new work environment amidst a rejuvenated urban context. In addition there are twelve levels of apartments in a single block straddling a new car park and offices at the west side of Chews Lane with outlook to the hills and theharbour.

Chews Lane Precinct

Awards

Key contacts

John Hardwick-Smith

Katherine Dean