The Design of the Domain Winter Gardens

Abstract

First constructed in 1916, the Winter Gardens in Auckland was William Gummer’s first public building in New Zealand. Listed as Category 1 by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and beloved by Aucklanders, the gardens remain under-researched in Aotearoa New Zealand’s architectural historiography. This paper aims to comprehensively analyse the Winter Gardens, exploring their historical context, architectural design, and the unique relationship between architecture and garden. This study sheds light on the distinctive architectural character of the Winter Gardens. The spatial organisation and layout between the indoor and outdoor spaces, the enclosure of space, and the structural system, materials and architectural elements that define this character can be understood by examining the architectural employed by William Gummer, learned during his time at London’s Royal Academy of Art and under the tutelage of Edwin Lutyens. This paper will also discuss the client’s motivations and the building’s construction history. This research aims to deepen our understanding of the architectural significance of the Winter Gardens in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.