Volunteer Steve George works on a mosaic column. Photo / Sue Shepherd
Volunteer Steve George works on a mosaic column. Photo / Sue Shepherd
A long-held dream will come to fruition in Kawakawa next week when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern opens a Hundertwasser-inspired community hub.
Plans to pay tribute to the late Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser — who made Kawakawa his home and built the public toilets which put the town on the international tourism map — started taking shape even before the Hundertwasser Memorial Park Charitable Trust was set up in 2008.
The project, called Te Hononga, has evolved considerably since then and been through plenty of ups and downs, but gained fresh impetus three years ago with the appointment of a project facilitator and support from the Northland Regional Council.
More recently a cash injection from the government's Provincial Growth Fund helped get the project across the line.
Finishing touches are underway inside Te Hononga ahead of next week's opening by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Sue Shepherd
Te Hononga, which can be translated as ''the joining together of people'', will include a public library, a council service centre, public toilets and showers, a gallery, an interpretative centre detailing Hundertwasser's connection to Kawakawa, a community workshop area and expanded car and bus parking to take pressure off the town's main street.
An ātea, or town square, is also part of the project. The ātea has been created on a space created by demolishing the old library and post office, and creates a link between Te Hononga and the main street.
Decoration in progress of Kawakawa's new ātea or town square. Photo / Sue Shepherd
A dawn ceremony and karakia will be held at 5.30am on Friday, October 9, followed by breakfast on the ātea and an official opening by the Prime Minister at 10.45am.
Project facilitator Lau'rell Pratt said everyone involved in the project was ''really excited''.
''There's been so many people working on it, they're all really keen to get into the building and experience it.''
Project facilitator Lau'rell Pratt and Harnett Builders site foreman Sam Fielden. Photo / Sue Shepherd
Work on the ātea had been hampered by the July floods so it was now a hive of activity as workers scrambled to get it ready on time.
Yesterday the carpark was being prepared for sealing, the ātea was being painted and decorated with mosaics, foundations were being prepared for Friday's arrival of sculptural rocks, and finishing touches were being applied inside.
''There's a good vibe, everybody's just getting on with it. There's nothing like a deadline.''
Everything would be ready by October 9 except a ticketing hub on the ātea promoting local attractions.
Lead mosaic artist Pat George at work on a column. Photo / Sue Shepherd
Local iwi Ngāti Hine is a partner in the project, which has been managed by council-owned company Far North Holdings. Almost all aspects of the project, from design to building to rammed-earth construction, have been carried out by Northland businesses.
The new library will include a children's area, an activity stage, a large porthole window seat, reading nooks, more computers and better Wi-Fi, and expanded book collections in te reo and English.
Lotteries and Foundation North also made significant grants to the project.
