Jellicoe Harbour And Silo Park / Taylor Cullity Lethlean And Wraight + Associates

Architects: Taylor Cullity Lethlean, Wraight + Associates
Area: 18,000 m²
Year: 2010
Photography: Simon Devitt, Jeff Brass
Lead Architects: Perry Lethlean, Scott Adams
Collaboration: DesignFlow
Client: Waterfront Auckland
City: Auckland
Country: New Zealand

Jellicoe Harbour and Silo Park in Auckland, designed by Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Wraight + Associates, transform waterfront redevelopment by blending public spaces with the site’s industrial heritage. Completed in 2010, the project integrates maritime and fishing industries into the design, highlighting authentic waterfront activity. Key elements include the pedestrian-focused North Wharf Promenade, Jellico Street, and Silo Park, where a preserved silo anchors multi-use programs. The design features bio-retention wetlands, reclaimed materials, and a gantry structure, seamlessly connecting historical context with contemporary public use.

Jellicoe harbour and silo park / taylor cullity lethlean and wraight + associates

Working waterfronts are dynamic spaces defined by their raw, utilitarian nature, often engaging the senses through their ever-changing qualities. However, contemporary waterfront redevelopments frequently erase these intrinsic characteristics. At Auckland’s Wynyard Point, this convention is reimagined through a redevelopment project that transforms an industrial maritime precinct into a layered, mixed-use area.

The initial phase of this redevelopment focuses on public spaces at Jellicoe Harbour and Silo Park, introducing a design approach that preserves the waterfront’s historical essence. Instead of removing industrial elements, the design integrates them—celebrating the grit, rust, and maritime artifacts while reprogramming them for new uses.

Two fundamental strategies shape the design: maintaining and enhancing the fishing and maritime industries as focal points for public experiences, and interpreting the site’s unique archaeological patterns and materials to inform the public landscape.

Jellicoe Harbour hosts a variety of uses, including container shipping, ferry services, and a thriving fishing industry. Previously hidden industrial activities are now part of the public experience through fishing fleet facilities, seafood markets, and wholesale spaces. This integration allows the public to engage with the authentic, working waterfront environment.

The design incorporates the ‘as found’ industrial conditions into the public realm. The North Wharf Promenade along the harbour’s edge facilitates pedestrian and cycle movement while offering views of the bustling industrial waterfront. The juxtaposition of the rugged, patinated industrial elements with nearby outdoor dining spaces highlights the site’s authenticity.

Jellicoe Street, running parallel to the harbour, contrasts the hard-edged industrial waterfront with a more formalized civic character. It establishes a pedestrian-oriented boulevard with indigenous planting, creating a unique public realm language for Auckland.

Silo Park, a triangular site linking Jellicoe Harbour to the marine industries, occupies a former cement depot. The retained silo, initially planned for removal, has become a central feature, hosting diverse programs including recreation, events, and youth-focused activities. These uses are inspired by the site’s industrial history, combining its existing patterns and structures with new narratives.

A distinctive gantry structure ties these programs together, referencing the site’s industrial vocabulary. Serving as a play structure, lookout, and event framework, it integrates seamlessly with the surrounding industrial activity. A proposed working dock for superyacht outfitting adds another layer of functionality, bringing this niche New Zealand industry into public view.

At the heart of Silo Park is a central lawn, used for recreation and events. Its tilted corners mimic bunds used in industrial settings, further connecting the park to its past. Adjacent to the lawn, a bio-retention wetland collects and filters stormwater before it flows into the harbour via water stairs made of reclaimed concrete—reusing materials to tell a new story grounded in local history.

Jellicoe Harbour and Silo Park exemplify a design approach that embraces and interprets the site’s industrial narrative, crafting a contemporary, authentic public space.