Unitec's Marae, traditional and contemporary design
Published by Maurice van Cooten, posted 25 May 2011
The Unitec Marae has been designed and sculpted by Lyonel Grant and his team. The design combines traditional carving and Marae architecture with current building requirements and contemporary design using digital technologies.
Parts of the carvings have been cast in bronze. I like the abstract quality of Lyonel’s sculpture that sits on top, it’s an interesting and elegant form. To Maori this ‘tekoteko’, represents the ancestor’s head.
Inventive use of line to build a traditional design, I do love the use of tools and mark making on this Marae. There’s so much surface design blending into structures and textures of the material, mainly wood.
Laser cut technology has been used to create the aluminum motives. Some beams show vinyl cut stencils, there’s a real play between traditional and contemporary, not just in the execution of the design but in the language of the motives as well.
These glyphs originate from the Easter Island clay tablets, the creators of these and the monumental stone carvings are a mystery.
DNA helix a western symbol we identify our lineage with, carying the code of our ancestors. The architecture of the traditional Marae is sectioned into parts of the ancestors.
This piece of binary code design reads out a song lyric for a hopeful future. A code that much of our world is now built upon. On the inside of the Marae’s facing wall, there’s a carved map of Auckland from medium-density particle board. The map is a structure, yet another dynamic to the surfaces found all over the Marae, its dual function is both decorative and a tool for teaching the history of the site.
I can’t say enough about this sculptural piece of architecture, like the eco-sustainable practice, helping raise social awareness for water and energy conservation and environmental impact. The locally sourced Totara timber used for the carvings. Totara being an optimum wood for carving as it contains a natural fungicide. It’s a unique Marae in New Zealand, open Mondays 9am – 12pm.
Previous post: Oak carving at Wood Sculpture Live
Comments
Commenting is closed for this article.
