Te Mata Topaki – ‘To hover over the headland’

A striking new public waterfront structure designed by LandLAB and Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei has been revealed at our marina’s edge. The sculptural pier-like installation extends 30 metres out from Waitematā Plaza promenade into the Viaduct Harbour waterspace. Providing dramatic views from an otherwise unattainable location encompassing a panoramic backdrop of Auckland City’s skyline, the Viaduct Harbour marina and Waitematā horizon beyond.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei artist Graham Tipene was engaged to join LandLAB on the creative journey which saw this structure evolve from a simple wharf extension into a dramatic sculptural form, representing a taurapa (the stern of a waka) lying on its side. Commissioned privately by Viaduct Harbour Holdings, the structure is designed to enhance the public’s connection to the water itself, with its name, Te Mata Topaki — meaning ‘to hover over the headland’ — a clue as to the experience it sets out to create.

Drone photography by Petra Leary.