The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), designed by Warren and Mahoney in association with Moller Architects and Woods Bagot, features collaborations with leading local artists Sara Hughes and Peata Larkin in contrasting glass and ceramic works over a built canvas of approximately 5760m².

Hughes’ glass artworks represent elements of the New Zealand landscape, while Larkin’s piece reinterprets the traditional intricacies of the Māori craft of tukutuku.

“Together,” says project director John Coop, “these artworks give visitors a unique insight into both the people and the places that make up the Aotearoa New Zealand experience.”

Hughes’ installation comprises 98 glass fins adorning the western and eastern exterior and a glass artwork of 300 panels, which wraps around the top level of the structure’s southern and northern elevations.

Using 60 different colour tones, the work is inspired by the artist’s 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,’’ says Hughes.

Larkin’s 32-metre-high, 13,500 terracotta-tile wall spans 105 metres along the northern façade, from Hobson Street to Nelson Street, through the Convention Centre’s laneway, and wraps back into the building.

“This artwork describes the multiple waterways and fertile soil Tāmaki Makaurau (and Aotearoa) possesses, as well as connecting strongly and aesthetically to Sara Hughes’ glasswork,” says Larkin. “The undulating, geometric pattern, inspired by traditional Māori weaving, softens the long wall; it’s a subtle, three-dimensional presence, which visually changes, depending on the angle it is viewed from.”

The Convention Centre is due to be completed in 2025.