City Rail Link: Beautifully Ugly

The City Rail Link is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects Auckland has ever undertaken. Below the city, the CRL's new stations are a remarkable example of what New Zealand can achieve in transport infrastructure and architecture.

Underground, world class

The interiors of the new stations are truly world class. Every element feels carefully considered, from the materials and lighting to the artwork and architectural details. The result is a collection of beautiful, distinctive spaces that are not only highly functional as railway stations, but also successfully reflect the culture and character of New Zealand.

On the street, a different story

However, the exteriors are far less impressive. They lack much of the architectural character and detail found inside, while doing little to integrate with the buildings and streets around them. Their large, flat facades and repetitive patterns make the exteriors feel imposing, particularly where their size isn't matched by sufficient architectural detail and variation.

The biggest issue is how poorly the entrances fit into their surroundings. We aren't suggesting that modern architecture should imitate Auckland's older buildings, or that a railway station needs to look traditional. Modern architecture can work perfectly well in these locations. But the CRL's entrances are so large, with such limited variation across their facades, that they appear poorly integrated with the surrounding cityscape.

A wider problem

This is also part of a much wider problem with Auckland's urban design. The city has never had a particularly cohesive ground-level streetscape, with buildings of different eras, materials and styles often sitting directly beside one another. While Auckland has increasingly focused on creating a more cohesive skyline, the same attention has not always been given to the streets below it. Every new building therefore has the potential to contribute to an increasingly fragmented style.

That is partly a failure of individual design, but also a failure of planning. If Auckland wants a more cohesive and attractive city, the government needs to establish stronger design standards that encourage new buildings to integrate with their surroundings rather than simply occupying their sites independently.

If Auckland wants a more cohesive and attractive city, it needs stronger design standards.

Space is no excuse

There may be practical reasons for the CRL's excessive use of space, including offices, machinery, ventilation and other operational requirements. But the need for this space does not mean good design has to be sacrificed. These are expensive, permanent structures, and their exterior design should reflect the same level of care given to the interiors.

The contrast between the two is what makes the project so disappointing. The interiors demonstrate that the CRL was capable of exceptional architectural detail and thoughtful design, yet the exterior buildings, which were also a significant and costly part of the project, often fail to meet the same standard.

The verdict

Good architecture doesn't need to be historic or decorative to be successful. It simply needs to integrate with its surroundings, handle its scale appropriately and provide enough variation and architectural thought to make a building feel intentional. The CRL entrances often fall short of this.

The City Rail Link is consequently a strange architectural contradiction: an exceptionally designed transport system whose exterior architecture often fails to meet the same standard. Auckland has managed to create railway stations that are genuinely beautiful and world class, yet so little of that ambition is evident from the street.