KEY POINTS:
A design competition starts today for the "iconic" Te Wero bridge to link the Viaduct Harbour to the Tank Farm waterfront development.
Anyone from schoolchildren and artists to architects and engineers has been invited to come up with ideas for the $35 million bridge for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.
Entrants are being encouraged to be bold and create an architectural landmark but keep in mind that the bridge needs to open to allow vessels access to and from Viaduct Harbour.
Expressions of interest are being sought worldwide on the technical side in parallel with the design competition.
A prize pool of $10,000 will be awarded in late September to the winning entries - and used to inform and influence the eventual winners of the project. The judges are property developer Richard Didsbury, Melbourne architect Peter Elliott, architectural academic Professor John Hunt, urban design expert Will Thresher and Auckland Museum director Rodney Wilson.
The last time there was a public competition for a civic project in Auckland was in 2000 when 153 entries were submitted for the $211 million Britomart transport project.
Entrants for the Te Wero bridge competition need to register on the council website: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz
/tewero or by telephoning 379-2020 for a registration form.
Registration closes on August 17 and entries on August 31.
The council hopes to start work on the bridge in 2009 and have it and the Jellicoe St entertainment strip on the Tank Farm completed for the Rugby World Cup.
