Waitematā Station Plaza

December 2025

City Centre
Complete
Urban regeneration

Waitematā Station Plaza is a vibrant new public space located behind Waitematā Station (formerly Britomart), offering a welcoming City Centre location for people to meet, connect, relax and move through the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland.

The plaza forms a key public realm connection between the station, Takutai Square, Te Komititanga and Commercial Bay as part of the ongoing City Centre revitalisation.

20260129 Waitematā Plaza Station Opening 6676

About the project

Designed in partnership with mana whenua and shaped by local cultural narratives, Waitematā Station Plaza reflects the history of the Waitematā foreshore and the movement of waterways where Te Waihorotiu meets the Waitematā Harbour.

A striking new feature of the plaza is the "Skylid" - an 8-metre-wide artwork with a sand-blasted design that depicts the convergence of the Waihorotiu river and the Waitematā Harbour. This artwork, created by mana whenua artist Graham Tipene, sits prominently within the space and celebrates both cultural identity and contemporary city life.

Now complete, the plaza serves as an entrance and exit to the station, while also offering a relaxed place for people to gather and connect.

Why did we do this work?

Waitematā Station Plaza is a key piece of Auckland’s evolving public realm, connecting transport and urban life while supporting a more walkable, people-focused City Centre. The plaza enhances the station neighbourhood to complement nearby public spaces such as Te Komititanga and Takutai Square, and prepares the city for the increased movement of people anticipated with the opening of the City Rail Link.

It provides a vehicle-free environment with seating, shade, bicycle parking and planting that invite calm, accessibility and social interaction

The reinstated plaza is part of the wider regeneration of the Britomart Precinct that’s transformed the area over the last 15+ years.

What's involved?

Construction began in 2024, with the plaza officially opening in January 2026 marking the completion of the Waitematā Station neighbourhood.

Works were done in conjunction with the upgrade of Tyler Street, similar to the design of Galway Street, which was completed in February 2023. Find out more about the Tyler Street upgrade.

Partnering with mana whenua

Since 2013, the CRL project has been working with mana whenua and the CRL Mana Whenua Forum have contributed significant mātauranga Māori which has benefited the project in a number of ways. As part of this partnership, CRL agreed core narratives with mana whenua, which have driven the key design aspects of the four stations and their immediate urban realm precincts.

Designed in conjunction with nearby Te Komititanga, the core elements agreed with mana whenua that have driven the station plaza design include:

the Waitematā harbour, and mingling of salt and fresh water with Te Waihorotiu, with the resulting abundance of life and this abundance supporting many people
the ability to be greeted by tangata whenua at the ātea given the many types of waka arriving by sea (as well as trains and buses)
the pavement’s variable pattern depicting the look of the Waitematā sandy foreshore as though seen by people gathering kai when harvesting shellfish in ankle/knee deep clear water
the lid design to the central seating element supports this meeting of people, abundance and life-giving affirmation that the location on/in the Waitematā provides.

Design features

The plaza design was developed with mana whenua and finalised following community engagement in 2017 and 2018. The design reflects the history of the Waitematā foreshore, both past and present.

Eight native trees have been planted around the edge of the plaza. There is also a large 'Skylid' central seating area designed in partnership with mana whenua to support the meeting of people.

The plaza is designed to be for people, with no vehicle access. Along with the trees, seats and bicycle racks, bollards have been installed around the plaza edge to prevent unauthorised vehicle access.

Delivered by

Waitematā Station Plaza has been delivered through a collaboration between Auckland Council (construction delivery), City Rail Link Limited (design) and mana whenua partners, with leading construction and design teams working together to integrate cultural values and urban functionality.

Further information

For the latest work construction notifications in your area, subscribe to the Downtown newsletter.

For information on City Rail Link, visit www.cityraillink.co.nz.

For questions about the plaza design and working with mana whenua, contact City Rail Link Ltd at info@cityraillink.govt.nz or 0800 CRL TALK (275 8255).

For questions about construction of the plaza or Tyler Street, contact the Auckland Council project team at citycentre@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz .