Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Northland's 'fabric architect' latest design combines art installation and architectural structure

By Julia Czerwonatis
Reporter for the Northern Advocate·Northern Advocate·
3 Jan, 2020 07:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Warwick Bell with his new creation, the GiraGlob, a piece of funky outdoor furniture soon to come to Whangārei. Photo / John Stone

Warwick Bell with his new creation, the GiraGlob, a piece of funky outdoor furniture soon to come to Whangārei. Photo / John Stone

Northland's "fabric architect" Warwick Bell – creator of the Canopy Bridge and the 2011 Giant Rugby Ball – has launched a funky new creation together with his partner Suza Schiele, and Whangārei will home the first of its kind.

Bell and Schiele recently released their GiraGlob, a spherical structure designed for public outdoor spaces, and confirmed that Whangārei District Council would install one of the structures at Bascule Park.

"The GiraGlob is an unusual space between art installation, architectural design and commercial product," Bell explained.

The globe structure can be rotated 360 degrees and is made from polyethylene and 2.6m in diameter, offering a range of functions; from seating space, shelter or kiosk, to mini-library, sleep-out or play corner.

Its spherical shape is designed to invite people to discover and share a new physical space together, Bell said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The GiraGlob is not only a hybrid of design, architecture and art but also the world's first rotating shelter. A totally functional sculpture as well as a meeting place."

The globe has a diameter of 2.6m and offers seating space for about seven people. Photo / John Stone
The globe has a diameter of 2.6m and offers seating space for about seven people. Photo / John Stone

While Schiele was the brains behind the design, Bell's task was to bring the GiraGlob from paper to reality.

"We started the project about two years. The first prototype we built was an inflatable and the second one an aluminium structure with canvas fabric."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

From there, Schiele and Bell started collaborating with different companies and institutions, including Northland Inc and Creative Northland to take the next step in developing their project.

On the search for a material fit for purpose, the pair got in touch with Auckland-based company Galloway International who make big polyethylene structures with moulds and offered technical advice for the GiraGlob project.

Polyethylene is accounting for a third of the total plastics market, primarily used is in packaging. Bell explained that it was long-lasting, recyclable, easily customisable and robust enough to withstand a cyclone.

READ MORE:
• Budget blow out - $4m hole in finances for Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre project
• Potential of Hundertwasser centre lures top administrator home to Whangārei

Discover more

Canopy wins international praise

18 Nov 11:00 PM

Fabric Structure Systems cashes in on new site

01 Mar 01:37 AM

Imposing Medusa at WOW created by Whangārei business

21 Oct 07:00 PM

Whangārei Sculpture Symposium under way

15 Mar 09:30 PM
Bell said the structure could be installed in outdoor areas, shopping malls, warehouses or open-plan offices. Photo / John Stone
Bell said the structure could be installed in outdoor areas, shopping malls, warehouses or open-plan offices. Photo / John Stone

The shell of the globe is 13mm thick and can be made of any colour; it also allows for different structure variations. Schiele and Bell's hope is to work with international artists to expand on different design ideas.

The duo have fashioned various quirky pieces of art and architectural structures over the years, but this is the first product they have brought on the market.

"I've never been interested in creating a product before. I've only ever worked on one-off projects. I'm a typical artist; once you've built something, it's over. So we've been getting into a whole different world with this."

Their collective's name Lgop hints at Bell's saying when confronted with an unusual idea: "It looks good on paper, let's build it".

While the mould for the GiraGlob is still in the making and the production won't start until next year, Bell and Schiele already have a first customer.

"Council has agreed to purchase one GiraGlob and install it at Bascule Park. It will be an art installation that is also practical, providing an interactive social space with shade," WDC's landscape architect Tracey Moore said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There are many designs or colour combinations to choose from, and we haven't confirmed this yet. We're leaning towards a 'pop art' style design at this stage.

"We'll see how it goes with regards to use, maintenance and hopefully lack of vandalism before deciding on any more."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

live
Northern Advocate

‘A lot of rain’: Serious flooding, slips concerns as yet-another storm bears down

10 Jul 10:02 PM
Northern Advocate

One dead, two injured in Far North crash

10 Jul 08:01 PM
Northern Advocate

Kaipara museums get first council funding - and a debt wipe for Mangawhai

10 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

‘A lot of rain’: Serious flooding, slips concerns as yet-another storm bears down
live

‘A lot of rain’: Serious flooding, slips concerns as yet-another storm bears down

10 Jul 10:02 PM

Electrical storms are set to hit at evening rush as Auckland braces for 16 hours of rain.

One dead, two injured in Far North crash

One dead, two injured in Far North crash

10 Jul 08:01 PM
Kaipara museums get first council funding - and a debt wipe for Mangawhai

Kaipara museums get first council funding - and a debt wipe for Mangawhai

10 Jul 05:00 PM
How a sinking pallet raft set one teen on a journey to sailing success

How a sinking pallet raft set one teen on a journey to sailing success

10 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP