Construction of New Zealand ICC breaks through glass ceiling

The first of the glass art work covering the exterior top of the new New Zealand International Convention Centre, has now been installed. Works by two New Zealand artists, Sara Hughes and Peata Larkin, will span a total of 5,760sqm once fully installed on the four external walls of the NZICC. Hughes’ work was the first to be fitted, and, when complete, will include 98 glass fins to adorn the western and eastern exterior. On the southern side of the NZICC another glass artwork will involve 500 panels of varying size and will wrap the top level of the structure. Hughes’ imagery uses 60 different colour tones and is inspired by her  upbringing in rural Northland near the Waipoua kauri forest. “The artwork reflects the experience of walking through the New Zealand bush and looking up through a canopy of trees to see the unique light and colour of the forest,’’ said Hughes. “It’s really exciting and moving for me personally to see this work lifted into place and on public display for the first time.’’ Warren and Mahoney designed the NZICC in association with Moller Architects and Woods Bagot/ “In many ways we’ve been speaking ‘on behalf’ of the building over the last few years. That’s why it’s so exciting to see the building increasingly start to speak for itself, and the installation of the first of the Sara Hughes-designed fins will see a powerful and distinctive part of the project’s identity assert itself on the skyline. We’re looking forward to the first fins quickly weaving the larger veil of colour over these elevated and visible sections of the NZICC’s façade,” says Richard Archbold, Project Architect.