Shared Pathway Bridge
Ōtara Creek Bridge
Located at the Ōtara Creek Reserve, it allows pedestrians access from the reserve to the Ōtara shopping quarter. It involved removing the old footbridge no longer fit for purpose to a multi-purpose pedestrian and bike path bridge.
Auckland City Council Public Art Manager Emily Trent worked with Henriata and Marc to portray iwi narratives within the space.
New pedestrian bridge brings public art to Ōtara Creek Reserve
Excerpt from the Our Auckland – Tō tatou Tāmaki Makaurau online blog. last updated 14 Feb 2020
A new pedestrian bridge which doubles as a piece of public art is set to be opened on Thursday in Ōtara.
Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair Lotu Fuli says the bridge in Ōtara Creek Reserve is “visually impressive.”
“A big focus for us is ensuring our parks and community facilities are functional yet beautiful for our community to be active and socialise so it’s really special to have the beautiful work of Henriata Nicholas and Marc Lenton incorporated into the bridge,” she says.
For Auckland Council’s Public Art Manager Emily Trent, working with the artists was a rewarding experience.
“We wanted to create something distinctive that reflects the beauty and diversity of Ōtara. For us it is about helping build a sense of pride in the community. This has been a great project to be involved in and it shows that art and infrastructure work well together.”
Henriata and Marc also drew inspiration from the native birds in the area. The vertical elements on the bridge are stylised manu (birds) with their pronounced stature identifying them as kaitiaki (custodian, guardian) of bridge users.
Lotu will cut the ribbon in the official opening ceremony on Thursday afternoon and says the bridge will provide locals with the ability to be more active and connect to two key recently upgraded pathways.
“By upgrading the paths and now the bridge, we hope to see a lot more people out and about using them.”
https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/news/2020/02/new-pedestrian-bridge-brings-public-art-to-otara-creek-reseve/
Ōtara Creek Pedestrian Bridge
Excerpt taken from He Kohinga Toi – Auckland Public Art website.
“A bright and beautiful bridge featuring woven patterns that represent the people who share the spaces of Ōtara.”
Production date 2020
Medium Steel and wood
Dimensions H 7800 x W 20000 x D 3000mm
Credit line Auckland Council Art Collection
Description
This new pedestrian bridge was designed and constructed to replace an old walkway over a water pipe, and is a special example of how art and infrastructure can work together. The bridge features 17 stunning manaia (stylised figure used in Māori carving), each with a bird-like head painted in bright colours; these bold colours were chosen to reflect the diversity of the people living in Ōtara.
The concept for the bridge artwork is based on the story of Tara and the essence of manaaki tangata (care for the people) for those who visit the whenua (land). The vertical elements on the bridge are stylised manu (birds), standing strong and proud as kaitiaki (custodians or guardians) of those using the bridge. They also represent the many people who have travelled through Ōtara during its past, who have described the area as lush fertile lands filled with birds, and who hold these stories within their waiata (song).
The design of the boardwalk references woven patterns, which emphasise the bringing together of cultures and generations that still live, work and share the spaces of Ōtara. Diamond shaped coloured steel plates set into the wooden decking depict the changing colours of the day into night. The outer bridge skirting acts like a kete (basket) to hold the cultural integrity of Tara and his legacy of utu – which responds to caring for the whenua and visitors.
https://www.aucklandpublicart.com/artworks/4178
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