Reclaiming Whenua, Culture & Resilience.
Okahu Bay is part of the ancestral land of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, with a long history of traumatic events affecting generations of families. A sewage system built in the 1900s, on top of which Tamaki Drive was later constructed, has created a barrier that prevents the Orakei Domain from draining water into the sea, causing regular flooding that affects the urapa and the church. Currently, the bay is undergoing a restoration program to redress the pain that iwi have carried over the years, through ongoing confiscation and destruction of whenua and marae.
This design celebrates the ceremonial waka taua returning home to the land by establishing a hakari stage in the water and whare waka on Okahu beach. The proposal removes the road between the beach and the domain, rerouting it around the park. The rhythmic linear structure of the monumental hakari moves onto the Orakei Domain with a performance stage and feasting area on a terraced landform.
The pre-European hakari stages were built to display food for inter-tribal feasts, representing a traditional historical form of Māori celebration where iwi groups could reposition themselves to reassert their identity and celebrate their culture. The proposed Hakari stage has built-in ramps and multilevel platforms, allowing different viewpoints. From the highest platform of its bridge, it accommodates many events, celebrations and feasting. While below the bridge, the waka can pass through it. On the Ōrākei domain, the carved terrace elevates the area and reduces the risk of flooding.
Softwares used : Revit, Rhinoceros 3D, Lumion, Adobe Illustrator and Procreate.

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