Railway Station
Ōwairaka Mt Albert Railway Station
Located on Carrington Road in Mt Albert, this project involves design elements for the bird feeder entrance, walkway, stairways, external elevator shaft and seating areas.
Ōwairaka Mt Albert Railway Station
Excerpt from He Kohinga Toi – Auckland Public Art website.
Artwork details
Production date: 2013
Medium: Digital print on glass, aluminium
Credit line: Funded by Auckland Transport and Auckland Council’s Public Art Regional Fund, Auckland Council Art Collection
Description
The glass walkway and stairs at Mt Albert Train Station feature a striking artwork inspired by the traditional Māori art form of tukutuku (ornamental lattice-work). Stylised poutama (stepped patterns) and tapatoru (triangle shapes) in various shades of transparency link the work to its location, local history and the community.
Ōwairaka draws from two iconic tukutuku designs, extending across the footbridge, concourse and canopy wall. Poutama patterns represent Māori palisades or a stairway to heaven, and tapatoru designs symbolise the nearby maunga (mountain) Ōwairaka / Mount Albert. The gradual shifts in the design imitate the ebb and flow of passengers and constant movement of trains and people passing through the station.
Ōwairaka’s fusion of traditional Māori forms and contemporary arts practice placed within this urban environment takes the viewer on a cultural journey, and reflects the station’s role in connecting the people and diverse cultures of the city. Ōwairaka was commissioned as part of the Mt Albert Train Station upgrade to transform this busy transport hub.
Location: Mt Albert Train Station, Carrington Road, Mt Albert
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