Wellington Airport’s new brand introduced ‘Rangitatau’ as a central concept, positioning the airport as a portal to central New Zealand.  To celebrate the journey the airport staff undertook in creation of the WLG brand we wanted to give them a way to physically encounter it everyday.

The idea was to create an art installation consisting of three large-scale sculptural portals placed outside the corporate offices. Each one draws from a realm within te taiao — sea, land, and sky. They are grounded in place, speak to sustainability and to the idea that stories upon the whenua are ongoing. Together they present a beautiful expression of the journey the airport staff have been on and their shared ambition for the future.

Each portal was designed in collaboration with artist Manukorihi Winiata (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa). We drew inspiration from the original digital carving created for the brand, a visual map of the pūrākau. This formed a foundation for a set of three sculptural forms.

Material finishes, lighting, and form were carefully considered. Bevelled edges to the patterns were a nod to traditional carving where the creative process began. The portals glow and oscillate through colour and brightness to reinforce their presence as both spiritual and environmental markers. All culminating to an installation that draws you in with its mauri, movement, and symbolism.