The Whangarei Hundertwasser Art Centre (HAC) will be an iconic landmark on a grand scale and the last authentic Hundertwasser building in the world.
Like the artist’s work, this stunning building will be multi-faceted and multi-functional with features including a state-of-the-art main gallery of Hundertwasser’s work and a contemporary Māori Art Gallery in keeping with Hundertwasser’s wishes.
This is our opportunity to help create something inspiring and enduring. The Whangarei HAC will be a unique gift to the people of New Zealand.
- The last authentic Hundertwasser building in the world, right in the heart of Whangarei’s beautiful waterfront.
- A stunning landmark which will be one of New Zealand’s most iconic buildings, attracting visitors from throughout New Zealand and around the globe.
- A unique opportunity to transform Whangarei into an international tourist destination.
- A catalyst project for the total re-invigoration of the Whangarei Town Basin and culture, heritage and arts precinct.
- A national treasure, a taonga, something for the people of New Zealand that we can all be proud of.
Project History
In 1993, Hundertwasser was invited by the Mayor of Whangarei to design an art centre for the city. He chose the former Northland Harbour Board building and made a number of visits to study the building and sketch his ideas.
The project was revived in 2008 after Whangarei District Council bought the building and Councillor Kahu Sutherland and chief executive Mark Simpson travelled to Vienna to win the support of the Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation.
The Foundation not only retrieved the artist’s original drawings and architectural concept from its archive, but also persuaded Heinz Springmann, an architect on many Hundertwasser projects, to produce plans for Whangarei District Council faithfully capturing the artist’s vision.
Whangarei District Council has committed a total of $8 million to the project over three years and has begun assessing seismic strengthening of the proposed building. The total cost of the build is $13 million and private and public donations are being sought to raise at least $5 million.
Economic Benefits
It’s estimated that the Hundertwasser Art Centre will attract over 140,000 visitors a year. International consultancy Deloitte estimates the Centre will bring $3.5 million a year in net economic benefit to the Northland Region.
These conservative figures are based on government statistics of domestic and international visitors to Northland, and on the number of these visitors who will frequent art galleries and museums. Based on these estimates, the Hundertwasser Art Centre would pay for itself in 3.9 years.
Hundertwasser believed in human architecture, designed in harmony with nature – the lines and colour of his paintings are echoed throughout his buildings.
Each new Hundertwasser building has gone on to become an iconic destination for locals and tourists, revered by the cities they inhabit, visited by thousands and thousands of people.
A message from the Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation
The Foundation fully supports the project and has retrieved the original artist’s drawings and architectural concepts from our archives. We have also engaged Heinz Springmann, the architect on many of Hundertwasser’s projects, to produce plans for the Centre which faithfully capture the artist’s vision.
As a gift, made possible only due to Hundertwasser’s love of New Zealand and the authenticity of the project, the Foundation will circulate art works from its museum in Vienna for display in the Centre.
Richard Smart
The Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation, New Zealand
The Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation was established in 1998 to communicate the thinking of its founder; to promote a more humane world in harmony with nature and in accordance with the inner aspirations and desires of man.
A message from the Wairau Māori Advisory Panel
E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou tena koutou katoa.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser became so closely attuned to Māori during his life time that the concept of a gallery for exhibiting Māori art has been included in his final design for a Cultural Centre. That design, with your help, is soon to become a reality. The Māori Advisory Panel that was established in 2012 has been working towards this end. We have named the gallery Wairau which is the transliteration of the word Hundertwasser which means One Hundred Waters in English.
The Wairau Māori Art Gallery, will have exhibitions of the best of contemporary Māori artists from all parts of New Zealand many of whom will be Toi Iho artists. This is the trademark of authenticity and quality Māori art and artists. These Māori artists will be role models for students, Māori and national and international visitors to Whangarei. In addition from time to time, indigenous artists from other countries will be invited to exhibit their work in the Wairau Māori Art Gallery. For the first time visitors to Whangarei and New Zealand will be able to see the best quality Māori indigenous contemporary works on permanent display in one place, the Wairau Māori Art Gallery, Whangarei.
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
Elizabeth Ellis, Chair of the Māori Advisory Panel -
Patu Hohepa, Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, Manos Nathan, Lisa Reihana, Allen Wihongi, Taipari Munro, Shane Cotton, Ngahiraka Mason, Elizabeth Hauraki
The Design Team
Eminent European architect Heinz Springmann has been appointed by the Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation in Vienna to ensure the artist’s plans are carried out in keeping with his objectives and philosophy.
Springmann was a key partner in Hundertwasser’s “architecture family”. His work was vital to the success of Hundertwasser architecture projects worldwide.
Whangarei firm Harris Butt Architecture has been contracted to work with the Foundation and Springmann on detailed designs.
The firm has delivered a raft of major public projects including the Waitangi National Trust gateway and amenities buildings and the Knoll Ridge café at Mt Ruapehu, winner of the NZ Architecture Award for commercial architecture in 2012.
Inside The Centre
The Hundertwasser Art Centre will span two levels and include two galleries, a learning centre, a theatre, café and a shop. It will feature state-of-the-art exhibition spaces, a main gallery of Hundertwasser’s work on the top floor and a contemporary Maori Art Gallery on the ground level.
The Hundertwasser Art Centre will exhibit original works circulated from the Hundertwasser Museum in Vienna including paintings, graphics, tapestries, architecture models as well as the artist’s activities in the fields of environment and ecology.
The Maori Art Gallery will exhibit the work of our most gifted Northland Maori artists from the Whangarei Art Museum’s substantial collection, alongside works of national standing, loaned from the collections of major public art museums including the Auckland Art Gallery and Te Papa.
The multi-faceted Hundertwasser Art Centre will also function as an educational resource where youth can gather to study art, architecture and ecology.
If you believe this project will be great for Whangarei, add your name to our list of supporters from Northland, NZ & around the world. Say YES to Hundertwasser.
What a fabulous opportunity...let's not let it pass!
