Kaikōura Earthquake Response: The recovery of the Kaikōura transport corridor and landscape

Judges’ Citation - category winner
The focus of the various spaces that have been created through the Kaikōura Earthquake Response is not the exceptional nature of the earthquake itself, but instead the stories of a coastline and its people, both of which have been given new opportunities for expression through the design of the many spaces along the new road. The project develops a series of individual stopping points, many of which would be worthy of recognition as stand-alone experiences in their own right.

The combined impact of all of these individual elements creates a profound and rich landscape experience which provides a frame for visitors to experience this significant cultural and natural landscape.  At some points the design works in the simplest of ways, to point the visitor towards fascinating views to behold and experiences to be had.  Elsewhere there is considerable content in the form of interpretation panels that give a depth of information and narrative about significant sites and places of interest. 

Judges’ Citation - Te Karanga o te Tui supreme award
The Kaikōura Earthquake Response transport corridor and landscape is a worthy winner of Te Karanga o te Tui supreme award.  It is a transformative project at a scale not often provided for landscape intervention.  It opens up access and offers experience of the beautiful coastline and the unique stories of the place.  But it also represents an outstanding example of co-design with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura. The project has brought the skills of a profession made robust in other more urban contexts to this most dynamic of edges, to make space to reveal the untold stories of a coastline and its people. The project is layered with details and subtleties that mean even repeat visits will be rewarded with continued engagement and involvement in place. 

There are also  grand gestures and precise moments of clarity that one could never have imagined being possible were it not for the collaborative efforts of the design team with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Cultural Advisory Group, artists, and the generous sharing of stories of this place. The cultural narratives are crafted into a series of elements that structure the journey by marking sites of cultural significance, and build an awareness of the whakapapa that is embedded in this landscape.  The disruption of this coastal edge through the power of natural forces has allowed for a design intervention that powerfully celebrate place and the spirit of this significant landscape.