Te Ngākau Civic Square facts for kids
Te Ngākau Civic Square is a special public space in the middle of Wellington, New Zealand. It's located between the busy city center and the fun Te Aro entertainment area. It's a place where people gather, relax, and enjoy the city.
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What Makes Te Ngākau Civic Square Special?
Te Ngākau Civic Square is found at 101 Wakefield Street in Wellington. It's surrounded by important city buildings. These buildings all have their own unique look.
You'll find the Wellington Town Hall and city offices here. There's also the Michael Fowler Centre, which is a big event venue. The Central Library is also part of the square. A wide walkway called the City-to-Sea bridge connects the square to Wellington's waterfront. The City Gallery is also nearby.
The main part of the square is paved with bright yellow bricks. This area is actually the roof of an underground car park! A famous artist named Neil Dawson created a cool sculpture for the square. It's a huge sphere, 3.4 meters wide. It looks like it's made from fern leaves. This amazing sculpture hangs 14 meters above the center of the square.
The square is a popular spot for many reasons. People use it for public events and gatherings. On sunny days, many office workers come here to eat their lunch. It's a great place to relax and watch the city go by.
The Story of Te Ngākau Civic Square
The idea for Te Ngākau Civic Square first came up a long time ago, in 1944. But it took many years for the plans to become real.
In 1987, the Wellington City Council decided to move forward with the project. They chose a company called Fletcher Development and Construction Ltd to build it. The project was a big one! It included building a brand new library. The old library building was turned into the City Gallery. City Council buildings were also made bigger and updated. The historic Town Hall was made stronger to protect against earthquakes. New car parking spaces were also added.
A very important part of the project was designing the new public square itself. They also created a special link to the waterfront. All this hard work was finished in 1992.
On June 14, 2018, the square got a new name. The City Council has a new policy to use more te reo Māori. So, the square was renamed "Te Ngākau Civic Square". The new name means 'the heart'. It was given to the city by a local iwi (Māori tribe) called Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika a Māui.
Images for kids
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Panorama of Te Ngākau Civic Square from the City-to-Sea bridge in 2002
See also
