The Waitematā CRL Station plays an integral role within Auckland’s CBD. As Auckland’s busiest transport hub, it brings together transport, public life and the wider urban environment. Alongside the City Rail Link, the vehicle-free plaza provides a welcoming setting to move through, meet, pause and gather, balancing the demands of a busy transport hub with the everyday life of the city.

Granite in a range of tones forms the foundation of the plaza, with variation across the paving creating texture, depth and movement. The pavement pattern draws on a narrative developed with mana whenua through the CRL Mana Whenua Forum, inspired by the Waitematā’s sandy foreshore as seen through clear, shallow water while gathering kai and harvesting shellfish. The changing pattern and tonal variation of the stone bring this connection to the harbour and its history into the space.

Opened in January 2026, the plaza forms part of Auckland’s City Rail Link precinct, complementing nearby Te Komititanga and Takutai Square, where Designsource has also supplied stone as part of Auckland’s evolving public realm. Durable, tactile and people-focused, the natural stone landscape creates a lasting connection between Auckland’s transport network, public realm and the Waitematā.