Learn about the carvings and sculptures in our Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) office lobby and what they symbolise.
Punatoto comprises of 3 panels - a koruru (centre panel) and 2 maihi (side panels). The panels represent the interrelated, balanced forces of nature moving towards a focal point of security and comfort. Kauri for the koruru came from a swamp on the Wairau Plains. Kauri for the 2 maihi came from Tongariro National Park.
The central figure is Māui, a mythological hero who, according to Māori legend, fished up the North Island.
Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) is recognised by Māori as the ‘head of the fish of Māui’. The figure of Māui also represents Papatūānuku, the mother of Tāne, who in Māori cosmology provided tōtara wood for carving from the forest of Te Wao Nui A Tāne.
The area above the carving represents Rangi, the sky father. The stylised figures on the top of the panels depict parirau, the wings of a bird providing ruruhau, or shelter, from Tāwhirimātea, the god of the winds.
The stylised pattern immediately below is Moana-nui-a-Iwi, a sea of people converging from both sides to the central ancestor, who will provide shelter, comfort and advice. The symmetrical circular pattern represents the ceaselessness of the waves of Tangaroa, the god of the sea.
The sea monster, or taniwha, depicted on each panel is the life below Tangaroa. It identifies with local legends, such as that of the taniwha called Hataitai, which lived in the waters of Cook Strait, or Raukawa. The end of the taniwha represents Ngā Tai e Whā, the sea tides. The extreme ends represent toroa, the albatross, or bird life above the sea. In-depth indentations signify moving from te ao tawhito, the age of stone, into te ao mārama, the age of enlightenment.
For the fit-out of the lobby, contemporary and traditional methods of construction and materials were used. These included swamp kauri, resin and felled kauri. Throughout the lobby, you’ll see the use of kōwhaiwhai – ferns and plant designs. This symbolises growth, nurturing, manawa (lifeline) and whānau (family).
At the far end of the lobby, on the back wall past the lifts, is our representation of Tāne Mahuta, the great kauri tree.
White has been used behind Tāne Mahuta to represent the light created when Tāne separated Papatūānuku and Ranginui. Backlit green resin represents te toto (the sap) of kauri. In the middle of the tree is the face of Tāne, which acts as a guardian.
Te Ngahere, on the wall opposite the reception desk, symbolises our history and future vision.
The middle pou (pillar) of the forest is the convergence of the past (pou tawhito), present and future (pou hiringa). Using our coat of arms represents who we are as an institution and our history. It is embedded into the centre pou, made of modern composite material and represents the future. The outer pou is made of 2 kauri pou named Pou-hiringa and Pou-tawhito. These represent the mighty kauri in the forest of Tāne.