Artist Kingi Pitiroi and master carver Delani Brown unveiled their pou at Taupo’s new Te Ātea space this year.
It’s been a busy year for Taupō, with the district winning awards in fields as varied as architecture, pie-making and of course, being named the best town in New Zealand.
There have been several large-scale projects completed in 2023, including the government-funded Town Centre Transformation, the Te Mataapuna sports facility and new playground in Tūrangi, Waiora House and the new Taupō Airport Terminal.
Taupō ‘s new airport building, designed locally by Paul Raven of Shelter Architects and built by local company Watts Construction, won the top prize in the New Zealand Airports Hui Commercial and non-Aeronautical Initiative of the Year Award in October.
The judges praised the airport’s transition from a dated terminal with a grassed carpark to an architecturally designed building with a new safer, sealed car parking model.
This followed a New Zealand Architecture Award in June that praised the building’s raking eaves and efficient, functional layout that highlighted the full-height glazing and interior elements – including the work of master carver Delani Brown and local photographer Jeremy Bright - which gave the terminal a sense of place.
Paul Raven says while no one on the project team was motivated by awards, it was certainly nice to have their hard work recognised.
“I genuinely believe that the reason this project has been such a success is because it has been done by Taupō locals, for the Taupō District.
“It makes a huge difference when everyone, from designers to creatives to the people on the tools, are invested in the project, knowing they are building something that will be a legacy for the district.”
It was the same story for the new Te Ātea lakefront space, which picked up the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Kiwi’s Choice Award alongside Taupō's win for the overall Supreme Award.
The lakefront development was also the work of passionate locals, from contractors Camex Civil and Downers to local suppliers like Signon, and the creative talents of locals Delani Brown and Kingi Pitiroi, who were responsible for the carved pou and artworks.
Mayor David Trewavas said it was fantastic news that the district had been recognised at the awards, with Tūrangi also a finalist in the Best Small Town category.
“The judges commended Taupō for its many environmental initiatives and it is so great to see that all the effort that the council and the community put into reducing waste and cleaning up litter has really paid off.
“I’d particularly like to acknowledge the efforts of Tidy Taupō, led by Carol Lamb, who put countless volunteer hours into picking up rubbish, Greening Taupō who have done so much work to plant native trees in our gullies and open spaces, and our council waste minimisation team who actively look for opportunities to reduce waste, provide recycling opportunities and recover as much waste as they can.”
Mr Trewavas said he also wanted to particularly acknowledge the efforts of the Tūrangi community.
This year was the first year the town had made the finals and Tūrangi locals should be justifiably proud of that achievement, he said.
“I really do believe we live in a supreme place – but it doesn’t happen by accident, it’s thanks to the countless locals who work really hard to make it a fabulous place to live in or visit.
“You’ve done us proud!”
Taupō also officially became home to one of the best pies in New Zealand in 2023, courtesy of the team at Paetiki Bakery, who picked up the top gong for their Steak and Cheese pie in the 2023 Bakels NZ Supreme Pie Awards.
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