Voice of the wind
Words Tegan Dunn
Photos Sam Hartnett
The eighth Brick Bay folly architectural design project is complete and open to visitors.
The 6.5m-high, A-frame structure, Te Reo o te Hau (Voice of the Kōkōhau), was designed by four architectural graduates of Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington School of Architecture, and provides a spectacular entrance to Brick Bay. Despite living in Wellington and Christchurch, these four young architects were driven to explore a local story about the voice of the wind. This wind (kōkōhau in te reo Māori) is called Mangatāwhiri – the breeze that sweeps across the bay of nearby Omaha.
The team’s proposal says it well: “The wind holds many stories as it sweeps through. It speaks of the health and wellbeing of the people, the moana, and the whenua. Without the wind, we would be breathless, birds would not fly, seeds would not spread, oceans would be lifeless and our people would not be prosperous. The wind has a voice. It echoes our past, voices our present, and opens to our future. This project asks you to listen to the voice of the wind, and explore the kōrero it has with the surroundings.”
Voice of the Kōkōhau uses layers of recycled kwila shingles, strung in a way to allow precisely enough movement to enable a subtle kinetic effect, creating a soft clatter of timber like an earthly wind-chime. The ordered assemblage of layered shingles is one inherits the role of a feather. Collectively, the impression of a kākahu (cloak) is created, appearing to drape over the structure, which grounds the structure within the land.
One of the architects, William Creighton, explains, “As you enter, it’s like a cloak of manaaki, or support. It’s ephemeral but also grounded in the cultural narrative of the site. Nearby Te Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier) is the final resting place of the God of Wind and a cloud rests over it, almost like a crown.”
The concept, deeply informed by mātauranga Māori, involved consultation with local iwi Ngāti Manuhiri to ensure the subject matter was handled correctly, and with cultural sensitivity. Architect and folly competition chair, Pip Cheshire, says, “This year’s folly has a strong idea founded on the cultural history of the site, a complex logistical exercise involving a team strung out over the lower half of the country and a do-or-die goal of harnessing the wind. It is a fine piece.”
Explore the folly along the famous Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. Entry to the trail is just $12 for adults with discounts for kids and pensioners. Family passes are also available at $35 each. Brick Bay is open seven days a week.
17 Arabella Lane, Snells Beach
www.BrickBay.co.nz
