Mount Victoria Interpretation Panel Foundations
Project location
Mount Victoria, Wellington
Client
Wellington City Council
Services provided by Frame Group
Detailed Design and Engineering
Partners
Anderson’s Design
Frame Group provided structural engineering design for a series of permanent outdoor interpretation plinths located alongside Alexandra Road on the Mount Victoria Lookout Walkway, one of Wellington’s most visited tourist destinations. The project supports the delivery of cultural, environmental and historical storytelling at a highly exposed ridgeline site.
The interpretation panels and superstructure, designed by Anderson’s Design, comprise reclaimed tōtara timber slabs approximately 2.5 metres high and weighing around 180 kg each. Frame Group’s role focused on the design of robust concrete plinth foundations with steel sleeves to safely support the panels and transfer loads into the ground.
Given the exposed Mount Victoria ridgeline and severe wind conditions, the foundations were designed as a Specific Engineering Design (SED). Frame Group also provided structural input into the panel-to-foundation interface, addressing wind uplift, stability and potential panel movement to ensure durability and compliance with the New Zealand Building Code. A buried concrete footing with a large plan area was used to provide long-term stability while keeping the structure hidden from view and maintaining the natural look of the area.
The foundations and steel interface form the critical load path between the architecturally led panels and the ground, enabling a visually discreet yet structurally robust solution in a high-profile public setting.
