NZICC commissions exterior artworks

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Two of the largest pieces of public art ever created in New Zealand will soon adorn the exterior of the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) under construction in central Auckland. The works by two New Zealand artists, Sara Hughes and Peata Larkin, will span a total of 5,760 square metres once fully installed on the four external walls of the NZICC. The artworks comprise 2,400 square metres of multicoloured glass over 550 panels that wrap around the top level of the NZICC and 13,500 terracotta tiles that form a spine wall alongside the retail and dining laneway beside the new centre. Installation of the glass panels will begin later this year, while the terracotta tiles will be installed from mid-2019. © New Zealand International Convention Centre General Manager NZICC, Callum Mallett, says a building of the size and scale of the NZICC offers a rare opportunity to showcase New Zealand’s culture and environment. “We feel Sara and Peata have absolutely achieved our objective of presenting the building and its surrounds as a unique experience of New Zealand to our local and international visitors. These pieces of art are of a scale that people across Auckland, and those within the NZICC, can appreciate and experience in very personal ways,” Mallett said. The huge glass artwork features vertical fin panels on the east and west walls of the NZICC and flat glass panels on the north and south sides. The imagery uses 60 different colour tones and is inspired by Hughes’ upbringing in rural Northland near the Waipoua kauri forest. “The artwork reflects the experience of walking through the New Zealand bush and looking up through a canopy of trees to see the unique light and colour of the forest,’’ says Hughes. “To me, it reflects our unique ecosystem and brings the experience of our natural environment to the central city.” © New Zealand International Convention Centre Peata Larkin’s 105-metre-long terracotta tile wall will extend from Hobson Street to Nelson Street through the future laneway of the NZICC, and wraps back into the building. Approximately 13,500 terracotta tiles in eight different colours will form a complementary relationship with the glass artwork and aim to soften and add movement and life to what would have been a straight plain wall. “This building sits on the ridgeline of Hobson and Nelson Streets and when complete, the artworks will bring a range and richness of colours we don’t see in Auckland’s CBD,” Mallet said. LED RGB lighting installed within the works will also enable the building to come to life at night with a choreography of changing colour in concert with the nearby Sky Tower. © New Zealand International Convention Centre The NZICC will be New Zealand’s largest purpose-built convention centre, with the capacity to take events of up to 4,000 people, and was designed in collaboration with the global business events industry to ensure a sustainable building that can be enjoyed by both local and international conferences of all sizes.

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