Auckland High Court, Memorial Park

PCLA won a competition to design a memorial park for the Ministry of Justice.  The location was the main historic south tower, façade and portico of the Auckland High Court.  The objective was to undertake a memorial park and to celebrate judicial values and underpin the enduring values of justice.  The stonework is symbolic of the weight of this responsibility and its enduring but often evolving character.  The inscriptions provide scope for reflection and reinforce the memorial mood of the stonework.

With respect to the heritage aesthetic the design is laid out to address the old High Court façade.  Responds to the historic quality of those aesthetics and articulates a simple, bold, understated edge that separates the grass lawn from the clay tile paving.  The low basalt stone wall reflects the built outline, retains a central flagpole and maintains open views across the lawn from the road.  Upstands add to the low wall with natural stone chosen to complement the façade pedestal of the High Court.