Hamilton’s $166.6m bridges earn global acclaim
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Two of Hamilton’s newest bridges have got “massive” international recognition, showing they measure up against projects including billion-dollar transit hubs.
Te Ara Pekapeka and the Taurapa pedestrian bridge, which connect Hillcrest and the future Peacocke development, got a special mention at the Architizer A+ Awards, placing them among the top 5% of global entries.
The international awards recognise excellence in architecture and design. Out of more than 3500 submissions, the Hamilton bridges stood out in the infrastructure category, placing them alongside mega projects like European train stations and billion-dollar transit hubs.
“It feels pretty amazing, this is massive recognition for a small studio in a small country,” said Harry Croucher, principal at Edwards White Architects and one of the lead designers.
“We didn’t come into it thinking we knew what to do. We had to listen, learn, and understand,” said director Grant Edwards.
Funded by Hamilton City Council, the $166.6 million project - including construction project of the new bridges and surrounding transport network - part of the city’s growing Peacocke neighbourhood, began planning in 2019 and opened to the public in September last year. It includes the 180-metre-long Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge and the 71-metre Taurapa pedestrian and cycling bridge on the northern side.
Te Ara Pekapeka, 26 metres wide, was constructed using 3060 tonnes of structural steel and 36 girder segments to support the deck. Beneath its sleek form lies 4900 metres of essential infrastructure - pipes for water, wastewater, electricity, and internet. The Taurapa Bridge, built from five steel sections, contains over 200,000kg of weathering steel and spans 4 metres in width.
The project, designed in collaboration with engineers BBO, cultural artist Eugene Kara, and landscape architect Adrian Morton, integrates engineering, cultural narrative, and place-making. Cultural symbolism is present throughout - from the Y-shaped pier, inspired by a woven kete, to the bridge’s patterned concrete blocks, which depict whenua, whakapapa, and awa.
It is also the only bridge in Hamilton that doesn’t pierce the river, in line with a directive from the late Māori King.
“People wanted more than a straight engineering solution. They wanted something inspirational,” said Edwards. “There’s only so many bridges that get built in our lifetimes. We knew this had to be a landmark.”
The Y-shaped pier also symbolises the casting of a fishing net used to gather kai from the river. Its base is adorned with patterns referencing the anchor of the Tainui waka and the proverb ‘Waikato taniwha rau, he piko he taniwha’ - “Waikato of a hundred chiefs, on every bend a taniwha” - honouring Māori ancestors and the river’s spiritual guardians.
More than 400 patterned concrete blocks on the southern abutment walls were cast from hand-carved panels to continue the bridge’s cultural storytelling.
The bridges are also shortlisted for the Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZIA Waikato/Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards this Thursday. A win there could see the project progress to the New Zealand Architecture Awards.
“It’s created a place — a running loop, a new way to experience the river,” said Croucher. “This recognition helps lift Hamilton’s profile internationally. It shows we do good design here — and that matters.”