A visually interesting space to attract passing motorists into Tokoroas' town centre.

Tokoroa is a small town in the Central North Island of New Zealand. Once a thriving industry town driven by forestry and farming, people have moved to bigger centres resulting in steady decline for the town itself. The redevelopment of Leith Place provides a flexible, visually interesting space to draw people in from the adjacent motorway.

Initially, the project was based around the construction of a proposed i-Site information centre. The design, which had strong geometric forms, was complemented within the landscape.

Client

Darryl Church Architecture (DCA) and South Waikato District Council

Location

Waikato

Project team

Morné Hugo
Matt Peacocke
Blair Clinch

Worked with

DCA Architects
BCD Group Ltd
Cosgroves Limited

Project date

2020

Awards

Best Loo | Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards
Public Architecture | New Zealand Institute of Architects Waikato/Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards

The design morphed over time and completely new building was designed, removing the idea of an i-Site, and including a sculptural toilet block which provides for a beacon in the landscape, visible from the state highway, encouraging motorists to make Leith Place a preference to stop and take a break, and drawing visitors into the town centre.

Key moves included the delineation of space through a combination of ground treatments, with a variety of surface materials to emphasise movement. A central angular break out lawn space breaks up the predominantly hard surfaces, reflecting the architecture and adding interest and options into a flexible plaza space.

Large trees anchor the overall site into the design, with complementary plantings selected to suit the harsh environment into which they would be placed.


Photos: DCA
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