Te Komititanga: Square opens in downtown Auckland with mana whenua narratives

Friday, 18 December 2020

A square gifted the name Te Komititanga has opened in downtown Auckland, with more than 137,000 pavers incorporating mana whenua narratives.

A people-friendly square has opened in Auckland’s downtown and has been gifted the name Te Komititanga.

The area on lower Queen St was closed to vehicles in late 2016 and for a while it became a pedestrian only space, with artificial grass, surface paint and artworks installed by the City Rail Link team.

Prior to 2003 it was a pedestrian dominated zone, with buses ruling the area after that.

It has been closed since early 2017 when plans to improve it as part of the $4.4 billion CRL project were unveiled.

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A render of the square gifted the name Te Komititanga, which features a whāriki or welcome mat among other mana whenua narratives.

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Lower Queen St before the area was made people-friendly in 2020.

The square was opened to the public on December 18.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei and the CRL’s mana whenua forum gifted the square’s name – Te Komititanga. It means “to mix” or “to merge” in te Reo.

Located near Britomart and the ferry terminal, the design of Te Komititanga reflects what was once there.

Lower Queen St used to be a sea of buses before it was closed to vehicles in 2016.

The more than 137,000 pieces of basalt pavers laid in the square incorporate mana whenua narratives.

In the north, the waves of the Waitematā harbour are coming to shore. In the south, the meandering of the Waihorotiu Stream can be seen.

It once ran into the harbour, but still exists below Queen St.

It is designed to reference the meeting point of the two waters before the area was reclaimed.

Taiaha Hawke from Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei at the opening ceremony of the new square Te Komitianga on lower Queen St.

Te Komititanga also features a whāriki or welcome mat in front of the Chief Post Office entrance, which will house the Britomart Transport Centre.

The whāriki was designed by mana whenua weavers to depict a woven harakeke (flax) mat, greeting visitors to Tāmaki Makaurau from the sea.

Dignitaries cut the ribbon to the new public square on lower Queen Street. Front, from left: Auckland councillor Paul Young, Auckland councillor Chris Darby, Labour MP and transport minister Michael Wood, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Taiaha Hawke from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff described Te Komititanga as a gathering place for Aucklanders and New Zealanders.

When the border reopened, it would be for international visitors too.

The former Chief Post Office building, now the Britomart Transport Centre, is planned to reopen next March.

“It’s part of the heart of our city, a place where people can enjoy traffic-free spaces, gather and meet with friends, look out over the harbour and visit the fantastic new places to shop and eat,” he said.

Minister for Transport, Michael Wood, said the opening was an exciting milestone for the CRL project, which would deliver significant benefits once it was completed.

“When complete in 2024, the City Rail Link will move the equivalent of 16 lanes of motorway at peak times, helping to reduce congestion and emissions.

“It’s already improving central Auckland with this brand new public space that people can enjoy in time for Christmas and the 36th America’s Cup,” Wood said.

CRL chairman Sir Brian Roche said the project was committed to leaving behind community legacies people would continue to enjoy long after it has ended.

“When we put down our spades and shovels, City Rail Link is determined to leave behind a better Auckland – above and below ground.

“I believe Te Komititanga and other locations where we’ve made a mark show that we mean business.”

The opening of Te Komititanga marked the end of the first stage of improvements in the downtown area.

The second stage includes works on sections of Tyler St and Galway St, as well as the Britomart precinct and parts of Customs St.

The work includes laying pavers, installing new street furniture, planting new trees, and laying foundations for a new plaza and pedestrian-friendly roads.

Auckland Council said the reopening of the Chief Post Office is planned for next March.