Museum forecourt ready for major redesign

April 3rd, 2014
[by David Armstrong]

One of Motueka's best known public spaces, the museum forecourt, is to be redesigned to make an inviting "town square" where people can meet, relax and explore.

Thanks to plans and negotiations among the three main stakeholders, the rectangular area in front of the museum and connected to Parklands School entrance is ready for a bit of "place making".

Part of the area is owned by the school and the rest by Tasman District Council. It is also of prime interest to the museum board and the Muses cafe. After many months of discussions, all parties are ready to proceed to the next stage involving public input.

Arguably the most disliked "feature" of the space - the iron fence separating off the school entrance - will be the first thing to go and its deconstruction is already under way.

The project for now is being co-ordinated by Parklands Board of Trustees chair Marion Edwin and has been provisionally named Motueka Town Square.

It is being developed along the lines of a modern community development concept called "place making" - making poorly used spaces into places that people want to visit, meet and use.

This approach is one advocated by the Vision Motueka group, of which Marion is a member. Vision Motueka, along with Our Town Motueka, Patisserie Royale, the Community Board, and iwi representatives, are the other groups involved.

The design aspects of the process initially will be guided by Gabrielle Bell. She will document what existing elements (trees, seats etc) can stay and what can go, or be re-used or moved, based on input already gained from the prime stakeholders.

On Tuesday, May 20th a public meeting will be held at Parklands School to introduce the goals of the project, the idea of place making, and the history of the area including Motueka School and the museum building and the outdoor space.

On the following Saturday, May 24th, another meeting will be held to start the creative and brainstorming process, gathering ideas for how the space could be used and what could be built or installed there.

Then, as they say, watch this space.

Comment by Sue Clark:
[Posted 5 April 2014]

I think this is a really good idea and I am all for it. If a grassy area could be incorporated for people to sit and enjoy a picnic etc. that would be good ... or to picnic with food from Muses cafe??? I am certain many good ideas will come to light.

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