TE WHETŪ TŪTA KITAKI I TE WHENUA | Where the Stars Meet the Land | Hannah Merrett-Kaufman (Group 08)
Mātai Moana is where “The Stars Meet the Land”. A junction point where the symbols of the Matariki constellation meet the whenua of Mātai Moana. Creating a confluence on the landscape that can serve the generations to come.
Te Whetū Tūta kitaki i te Whenua explores how the Matariki constellation can inform the design and use of Mātai Moana. The focus lies on utilising the 9 stars; Matariki (health and wellbeing), Pōhutukawa (connection to the deceased), Tupuānuku (food grown in the ground), Tupuārangi (food that comes from the sky), Waitī (fresh water), Waitā (ocean/salt water), Waipuna-ā-rangi (rainfall), Ururangi (wind), and Hiwa-i-te-rangi (the wishing star).
These whetū and their meanings will be represented on Mātai Moana through zones. These zones are where one can truly connect to individual meanings represented in Matariki, as well as celebration points where community and whanau can gather and celebrate the new year.
The stars will influence all layers of design interventions, from the gradual restoration of native vegetation to the establishment of a self-sufficient eco-sanctuary. The repurposing of the prison into a space reflecting Tupuānuku, for example, will embody these principles. Various design interventions will recognize and honour the layers of history that occupy the peninsula, offering remembrance and educational opportunities across the site. Ensuring that Mātai Moana becomes a place of cultural significance, ecological restoration, and community engagement.
The goal is to give a greater connection between the whenua, the whetū and the whanau.
