Te Ahu a Turanga is a new $824 million 11.5-kilometre four-lane highway connecting the Lower North Island East to West. It opened this week.
And not only is it an impressive bit of infrastructure, replacing the old Manawatū Gorge Road, it is, in effect an enormous sculpture park you can drive through.
Through art, design, pattern and planting it places a cloak across the land, including references in sculpture to instruments of weaving.
Weaving is an apt metaphor because not only is the road a connector but Te Ahu a Turanga has seen five Iwi come together for the first time, and woth Waka Kotahi its involved a roading partnership touted as a benchmark for co-design.
The art itself is also a collaboration - between artists Warren Warbrick, Sandy Adsett, and James Molnar.
Our Culture 101 guests Warren and Virginia Warbrick collectively call themselves Toi Warbrick.
In the rohe or area of iwi Rangitāne, their passion for history and placemaking is conveyed through music, performance, writing about history and significant public art projects.
Images of work discussed are below.
Photo: Waka Kotahi
Photo: Waka Kotahi
Hine te Iwaiwa sculpture designed by Warren Warbrick on Te Ahu a Turanga Highway. Photo: Supplied/NZ Transport Agency
Photo: Waka Kotahi
Poutahu sculpture by Sandy Adsett on the Woodville end of Te Ahu a Turanga Highway. Photo: Supplied/NZ Transport Agency
