Raukura Turei is an artist, architect and mother, and she was also a winner at last year’s Interior Awards in the Residential category with her Ōwairaka House project. We hear more about her favourite spaces and what she’s most looking forward to during the judging process.

What’s your favourite interior space, either in New Zealand or abroad – that’s inspired you or your design thinking – from the past decade?

Raukura Turei (RT): Interior spaces that truly inspire me are those that make me slow down and become very present (or even want to lay on the floor). I have been fortunate to experience a handful of these spaces in my recent travels. One such space is the Teshima Art Museum by Ryue Nishizawa in Japan. I felt it was more a journey than a singular space, where time stood still and I became hyper-aware of the environment around me, down to the droplets of water moving across the undulating floor. The whole experience was incredibly meditative, a contemporary temple to the environment.

What will you be looking forward to while judging the Interior Awards 2021?

RT: I’m interested in seeing entries that push against the latest trends or the desire for excess. Entries that present creative responses to efficient uses of space, are contextual and those that are conscious about our environmental crisis. I would love to see more spaces that engage with Mana Whenua and acknowledge Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I’m also looking forward to hearing the different perspectives of the panel and having robust discussions about what we each appreciate in an interior space.

If you could design an interior project for anyone, who would it be and why?

RT: The whare tupuna at my marae Umupuia on the shores of Maraetai is a gorgeous little wharenui named after our tīpuna Ngeungeu Zister. While the exterior is adorned with whakairo, the interior is completely bare. It would be a dream to work alongside my iwi of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki to bring the richness of our traditional arts to the interior. To learn the art of tukutuku to line the walls, paint kōwhaiwhai on the heke and see our tīpuna acknowledged through carving would be an incredibly grounding experience that merges all three elements of my life; being my culture, my art practice and my work as an architect. Most importantly, it would be a reference point for future generations.

Click here to submit your projects to the 2021 Interior Awards before 28 April.