The Hundertwasser Art Centre was our main quest in Whangarei.
Hundertwasser was invited in 1993 by the Whangārei District Council to design an art gallery for Whangārei. A 2015 referendum authorized the project and construction began in June 2018. The Hundertwasser Art Centre opened February 20, 2022.
This is the entrance to the Hundertwasser Art Centre, also home to the Wairau Maori Art Gallery.
To our disappointment, we learned it was the day before the Wairau Maori Art Gallery’s grand opening. Sadly, a missed opportunity!
Our tour guide is giving us an explanation of the post behind him. It is a Pou tahuhu or supporting post, normally these posts support the ridge pole of a wharenui (meeting house). This pole was placed in honour of the Wairau Maori Art Gallery and local Maori ancestors.
Photos were not permitted inside the Hundertwasser Art Centre, so the photos available here are all exterior. More information about the gallery can be accessed from it’s website, https://www.hundertwasserartcentre.co.nz/
While we cannot show you photos, we enjoyed the art in the gallery very much and can tell you a bit about the artist and his style. Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) was an Austrian born artist and architect.
As an artist, he was very stylistic and a bit reminiscent of Escher and Gaudi. As an architect he was a strong proponent of accessibility, and this is evident in the exterior of the Art Centre, with ramps making the roof of the building accessible. He shared with Gaudi the trait of using broken pieces of ceramic to form surfaces. While similarities exist, he was very unique and creative, and designed many buildings that stand in Austria. He also designed a Ronald McDonald house that stands at Valkenburg, the Netherlands and can be viewed at https://hundertwasser.com/en/architecture/arch141_de_regenboogspiraal_van_valkenburg_2209
Art and architecture cover only part of his intellectual pursuits. He was also a strong proponent of sustainability. If this piques your interest, there is a great deal of additional information available about him and his work on the web.
Viewed from the roof patio, we see one of the patio access ramps.
This is an example of the use of broken ceramics to create a surface on the rooftop patio.
If a person finds the ramps too steep to get to the roof, there is an elevator in this tower. Wheelchair access is available through either approach.
This view is looking into the Whangarei harbour from the roof.
This view is looking out along the harbour towards the ocean.
Moving on from the Art Centre, this is street art we found as we walked into town. It’s a small part of a large mural prepared in 2019 by seven Maori artists. It’s entitled Te Hononga which means connections, relationships or bonds. It represents a family tree and depicts four birds that each has a special symbolic place in Maori culture.
More colourful street art!
As in our departing photo from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, this strongly depicts the use of protruding tongues in Maori traditions.
In the Maori language, it’s called “whetero”, with the “wh” pronounced as an “f”. It’s believed to have originated from the Maori warrior tradition.
Auckland was almost fully booked, but the Auckland North Shore Motels & Holiday Park said “Just show up, we have lots of space”.
We arrived at 6 to a closed office. I called the desk and was told, “We’re closed and I won’t come and sign you in. The front gates close at 6:30. Get out now!” Sitting outside the gate to figure out what to do, a fellow pulls up. After a few words, he invited us in and apologetically said, “She’s the owner, I’m the manager.”
Thank goodness for him!
With secure accommodation and a gate pass, we went out for a bite to eat and came back for a good nights sleep.
Grampafacts 