The best thing for the art centre in years to come is to have it be alive with returning locals enjoying the rooftop and viewing tower for free.
The best thing for the art centre in years to come is to have it be alive with returning locals enjoying the rooftop and viewing tower for free.
Last time I wrote about the Hundertwasser art centre, I was restricted to the exterior view. Literally peeking through wire fences.
The building was a shimmering surface, not a living building for touching, moving through, sharing with other people.
Now I've experienced the building as it should be. On thewhole, it's a delight. I'd like to return to it again and again.
The building is true to Hundertwasser's philosophies of architecture. You feel conscious of your body moving in a tactile, irregular space. More in keeping with the natural world that Hundertwasser was inspired by and wished to emulate.
Earth, present as clay brick, generous use of exposed timber inside, openness to the sky, the water in the harbour, and the trees around the Hundertwasser and growing on the roof, all position the building as something of nature, not against it.
The uneven brick surface outside and on the first level inside is a marked difference from a "normal" public building. The effect immediately alters how you relate to the space. Something unconscious, only learnt through your feet, slows you down.
I didn't, but I felt like taking my shoes off and walking barefoot to get the full tactile experience. Something I felt the urge to do again when I walked on the mulch paths on the roof.
Another wish was to sit inside or outside the building and read a book. That this urge was welling up inside me says something about the human qualities of the building. I wanted to use it like I use my own home.
There are ample seating options for passing the day, reading, watching people go by, and noticing the changing light. I could imagine old men in caps playing chess. Very European.
Climbing the circular staircase up the tower to the golden dome also felt old European. Not from experience, but from the movies I've seen of staircases in castles. I half expected to meet a long-skirted nobleman or lady coming down the stairwell. That you had to make way for people on the stairs emphasised again the human scale.
From the tower, the 360 view opens up to reveal a different scale. Whangārei doesn't look half bad. Granted, it's an odd jumble with the yellow facade of Pakn'Save looming large, but you do get a fresh perspective on the city.
Climbing the circular staircase up the tower to the golden dome also felt old European. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The tree and shrub planting on the roof is understandably not fully established. Even so, there was something whimsical about walking through a living ecosystem on the roof of a building. I particularly enjoyed a thrush scratching through the dead leaves.
It's here, though, that I have to make a criticism. And a plea for change.
When I visited, the gate at the bottom outside stairs that lead up the ramp to the roof was locked shut with a padlock. I had assumed that the roof of the building and access to the tower would be open free to the public. At least during the day.
I was told inside that you had to pay general admission to view the two exhibition galleries and access the roof. You could then leave via the gate at the bottom of the ramp. Though this wasn't possible when I was there.
If this is how it will be, I think it's a mistake. The design of the building, the ramp-like structure sloping up to the tree-lined rooftop, invites you to approach the building from the open park space currently being built to the west. And then walk up it.
To have the whole message that the architectural form is giving you blocked by a locked gate goes against the integrity of the design. It goes against, I would think, the spirit and politics of Hundertwasser himself. It is also at odds with the fact that most of the money that has made the project possible has come from the public purse.
At the moment, there are plenty of us who will want to check out the recently opened art centre. And maybe the current pricing is temporary.
But the best thing for the art centre in years to come is to have it be alive with returning locals enjoying the rooftop and viewing tower for free. That's what the building itself is saying.
Access to the restaurant and bar, highly recommended for its interior design and outlook, is separate from the general admission, but eating there is not something many people can afford to do regularly. Some not at all.
The Hundertwasser surrounds and rooftop should be a public space for all to enjoy as a highlight of any visit to the Town Basin.
In another column, I'll write about the exhibition of Hundertwasser's life and work. As well as offer thoughts on the Wairau Māori Art Gallery.
