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Our lobby carving

Learn about the carvings and sculptures in our Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) office lobby and what they symbolise.

Punatoto - the life force carving

The carving between the two sets of front doors of our Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) building is named 'Punatoto: The Life Force'. Punatoto was an ancestor of Te Atiawa who lived in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the Māori name for Wellington Harbour. We commissioned Pita Rua Lagan, a tuhoe carver from Matahi in Te Urewera, to carve Punatoto as part of New Zealand's commemoration of 150 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Punatoto – the life force carving

What the panels represent

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.

Punatoto

Māui

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.

Punatoto carving panel detail

Rangi and Moana-nui-a-Iwi

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.

Punatoto sketch
Punatoto initial sketch. Pita Rua Lagan.

Taniwha

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.

The Tāne Mahuta story

The lobby of our Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) office is a physical manifestation of the Tāne Mahuta narrative. We have adopted this narrative to help explain our role as the kaitiaki (guardians) of Aotearoa New Zealand's financial system.
Tāne Mahuta and our financial system
Tāne Mahuta story - RBNZ Wellington office foyer

Our lobby fit-out

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).

Tāne Mahuta (the tree sculpture) RBNZ foyer detail

Tāne Mahuta — the tree sculpture

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.

Ngā pūtake (floor tiles) in main RBNZ foyer

Ngā pūtake — floor tiles

The tiles on the lobby's floor symbolise manawa, the lifeline of Te Pūtea Matua. The pattern on the tiles represents ngā pūtake (the roots), the main artery supplying life to Tāne Mahuta.

Waka hourua – reception desk

Waka hourua — reception desk

The reception desk in our foyer has been designed to look like a waka hourua (double-hull canoe) that the traditional navigators used. Behind the desk is pari (sails), which represent bringing our vision to life by harnessing the winds of change.

Te Ngahere (the forest sculpture) in the RBNZ foyer

Te Ngahere — the forest sculpture

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.

Foyer carving canopy
At the top are branches and leaves made from resin. Backlighting is used to push a reflection onto the ceiling to mimic a canopy. The guardian birds in the canopy are Tiungā-rangi and Hāro-ngā-rangi, the great birds of Ruakapanga.
Upoko designs

At the bottom of the sculpture under the arcs are different upoko (head) designs, which are based on the wheku (carved face) on the New Zealand 10-cent coin.