Civic Square, Wellington
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Civic Square is an open public area at the centre of Wellington, New Zealand. It marks the boundary between the financial district to the north and the entertainment district to the south.
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[edit] Textures & Materials
The square is paved with yellow terracotta bricks and has an iconic sculpture, a 3.4 metre diameter sphere of silver ferns, suspended 14 metres over its centre. The wide City-to-Sea pedestrian bridge acts as a gateway from Civic Square to Wellington's waterfront.
[edit] Environment
The square is surrounded by council buildings each with a distinctive architectural style: the town hall and council offices, the Michael Fowler Centre, the central library and the City Gallery. The main tiled area is the roof to the underground library car park.
[edit] Use
The square is used for public events and is a popular place for office workers to eat their lunch on warm summer days.
[edit] History
The first real plans for the Civic Square date back to 1944.
In 1987, the Wellington City Council appointed Fletcher Development and Construction Ltd as the project developers. The project involved building a new library, conversion of the existing library into the City Gallery, extension and refurbishment of City Council buildings, earthquake strengthening and refurbishment of the Old Town Hall, car parking space, design of the new public space and a link to the waterfront. The project was completed in 1992.
Similar public areas mark the centre of most cities in New Zealand. The most notable example is Cathedral Square in Christchurch.
