Giant Atua panel installed at K Road station

Originally published on Te Ao Maori News

The first of three giant Atua panels was installed at the City Rail Link’s new Karanga-a-Hape station in central Auckland on Friday.

Designed by artist Reuben Kirkwood (Ngāi Tai Ki Tāmaki) and architect Jessica Beagelman, the solid concrete panels measure nine metres tall and nearly three metres wide and weigh more than 11 tonnes each.

The solid concrete panel is nine metres tall and three metres wide. Photo / City Rail Link

“These panels reference both spiritual and physical life principles depicting Ira Atua and Ira Tangata,” City Rail Link said on Facebook.

Developed utilising the same technology as was used for the foils on New Zealand’s America’s Cup boats, the panels are considered cutting-edge in terms of what is possible with concrete.

Artist Reuben Kirkwood has worked on the station's Threshold Elements. The Mercury Lane threshold design references the equiangular spiral on the shell of pūpūrangi (kauri snails). Photo / City Rail Link

Kirkwood has also been involved in the design of some of the interior elements of the station.