Sculpture background

Ra Vincent, Wellington City council, Studio Pacific Architecture and Toulouse Ltd joined forces in creating an outdoor permanent sculpture which is a striking combination of stylised wake prows and foreshore water effects.

The Waka / Pou sculptures are silhouetted against the night sky with metal halide spotlights in vandal-resistant enclosures. Positioned on what was once the foreshore of Wellington’s harbour, the ebb and flow of the tide is represented by the slow pulsing of dimmed in-ground fluorescent fittings in the boardwalk. All elements draw visitors to the park whilst symbolising the moment of arrival.

These two pouwhenua (land-marking-posts) take the form of waka of white cement and marble. Traditionally, waka were often placed upright at the end of a journey. Gifted to the city by the Wellington Tenths Trust, they also symbolise partnership bewteen the city and local Te Atiawa/Taranaki people.