Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery doors to open

Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery will open to the public today

In a somewhat fitting irony, the nearly 30-year journey to the opening of Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre has been less than straightforward.

But today the centre - proposed by straight-line cynic Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser - will fling its doors wide open after more than three years of construction at the Whangārei Town Basin.

The occasion also marks the debut of the Wairau Māori Art Gallery - New Zealand's first public gallery dedicated to contemporary Māori art - that is housed within the centre.

Hundertwasser first proposed the idea of a centre back in 1993 but was initially rejected. However, the plan was resurrected in 2008 and has now come to fruition with all opening day tickets sold out.

Hundertwasser Art Centre chief executive Kathleen Drumm said the new cultural tourism destination is itself considered a work of art.

It includes a gallery of 80 Hundertwasser artworks as well as the Wairau Māori Art Gallery's showcases of contemporary Māori art.

An activity centre, gift shop, and restaurant are also homed within the centre in addition to the two galleries. Visitors will be able to access the afforested rooftop - the largest in the southern hemisphere - and the eight-metre-high gold cupola.

Drumm said the new attraction, recently awarded a Silver Tourism Award by Qualmark, provided Whangārei and Te Tai Tokerau with a world-class cultural tourism destination.

Friedrick Hundertwasser, Austrian artist, architect and environmentalist, died in 1999 and the Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery in Whangārei was built in his memory.

"When people experience the level of detail and quality of craft that has gone into the building, I believe they will recognise that what has been created here is totally unique and quite remarkable," she said.

"It is a destination that will bring immediate and continued economic benefit to the city and to the wider region."

Drumm described Hundertwasser as one of the 20th century's most celebrated European artists.

He spent 24 years of his life in the Bay of Islands and was even a New Zealand citizen. He committed himself to the preservation of our natural surroundings.

The Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation in Vienna, which manages the artist's estate and legacy, was part of bringing the art centre and Wairau gallery to life.

Foundation head Joram Harel said the centre champions the notion of life being in harmony with the laws of nature.

"The tree tenants in the facades and the forest on the roof symbolise a gesture for a peace treaty with nature. Visitors to the Hundertwasser Art Centre will encounter and experience a celebration of art, beauty and individual creativity in harmony with nature."

Wairau Māori Art Gallery Charitable Trust chairwoman Elizabeth Ellis said the gallery was created to profile the best of Māori art and provide the country's first public Māori art gallery solely dedicated to profiling Māori artists and curators.

The $33m project was completed with $18.5m in funding from the Government's Provincial Growth Fund and managed by Kānoa (Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit).

The Northland Regional Council contributed $1.5m. The Whangārei District Council provided $2.97m towards the cost of earthquake strengthening. Community funds of $10m were raised from Lotteries, Foundation North and Oxford Sports Trust.

Funds were also raised from private and public donations as well as from sales.

Restaurateur Lloyd Rooney thinks the Hundertwasser Art Centre will attract more people to the Whangārei Town Basin where he has three restaurants. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Whangārei restaurateur Lloyd Rooney, co-owner of Number 8, The Quay, and Loco in the Town Basin, believed visitors would flock to see the centre.

"I think when the borders reopen fully it's going to be a massive tourist attraction," he said.

Until then, he and plenty of other locals he knows had plans to visit the centre on its debut weekend alongside art fans from outside the region.

"Friends of mine from the Waikato came up because they're a huge fan of Hundertwasser. It definitely has a wider appeal to more people than we currently realise."

Rooney's excitement for the centre's opening is obvious with Loco and The Quay offering a special zero-waste Hundertwasser cocktail to "keep it in the spirit" of the Hundertwasser, he said.

Whangārei MP Emily Henderson has been watching the build "from the sidelines" in anticipation of the Hundertwasser becoming a well-loved public space.

She said the hard work and patience of those involved in the project had paid off, and the proof lies in the artistry it's already ignited around the city.

"I am so proud of us taking this huge leap to being a more vibrant, open city. I love the fact that people paint their letterboxes and the bollards. It's inspiring everyone and I think it's a beautiful building."

The Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery from across the Hatea River.

Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai applauded the building as a "combination of a tremendous amount of community effort".

Covid restrictions limiting options for a full-scale opening event wasn't going to dampen the milestone for Mai.

"While it's strange that the opening isn't a grand ceremonial event, it feels right for the project ... it feels good."

Despite being the mayor of Whangārei, Mai hasn't had an early peek at the galleries.

"I have no idea what to expect, I'm just looking forward to it. I want to get up on the rooftop. I haven't been there since the cupola has been put in place."

Ticket prices for the centre are $21 for adults and $10 for children under 16. A family pass for five people is $45 and for Whangārei locals, $15.

Drumm said the reduced price for locals recognised both the large community involvement in creating the building and the local council's contribution to the building's foundations.