Foodstuffs Legacy Walk-through (2026)
Created for Foodstuffs North Island's Auckland support centre, the Legacy Walk-through takes visitors on a journey through more than 100 years of grocery shopping in New Zealand. From a timber shopfront and vintage products to a self-checkout and automatic doors, the installation captures the changing face of one of the country's most recognisable grocery brands.
Human Dynamo Workshop worked with Foodstuffs to develop the concept, design, fabricate and install the experience.
Collaborators:
Client: Foodstuffs North Island
Creative Production Partner: Human Dynamo Workshop
A century of grocery shopping brought to life
This project grew out of a small historical display created for Foodstuffs' centenary in 2022. Originally intended to remain in place for just 12 weeks, it proved popular, inspiring Foodstuffs to create something more permanent. But what began as an upgrade soon became a much bigger opportunity: a space for staff and visitors to enjoy, as well as a unique setting for events, interviews, social media content and more.
The creative process started with a phone call, mood board and three initial sketches from Human Dynamo Art Director, Sue Dorrington. And the initial idea to take visitors through a chronological timeline evolved into a more compact before-and-after experience, making the most of the available footprint.
"One of the things I do first of all... is a little bit of research and then empathy to truly understand what does this client need? What are they really wanting this to achieve, for them, in the end?" - Sue Dorrington, Art Director
Walking through time
Visitors enter through a recreated general store from the 1920s–40s, recalling an era when customers handed their shopping lists to the grocer, who gathered their goods from behind the counter. As they turn the corner, the store begins to change. Vintage products and shelving give way to mid-century finishes, before visitors emerge through the automatic doors of a bright, contemporary Four Square.
The transition is told through the details. Oiled matai flooring gives way to vinyl and black-and-white tiles, and then a polished-concrete look. Signage, products and historical artefacts reflect the changing times, while references to New World, PAK'nSAVE, Gilmours and Liquorland acknowledge the wider Foodstuffs story.
The art of making something look old
Recreating a store from a century ago required more than simply reproducing its appearance. From the proportions of the windowsills and timber mouldings to the thickness of the boards, every detail needed to feel authentic. Historical photographs provided inspiration, although interpreting original paint colours from black-and-white images and faded Polaroids presented their own challenges.
Our designers and makers combined traditional detailing with contemporary fabrication techniques, carefully selecting materials and applying finishes to give newly made elements the character of age. Some components, including old-style lead-head bolts, even had to be made specially.
"There's an old counter, which Ed did a really good job making out of some really nice timber… I had to go and whack it with a chain to make it look old." - Sam Forte, Senior Designer & Maker
It's these carefully considered details, from distressed paintwork to the changing flooring, that make the journey through time convincing.
Built to travel, made to last
Behind the nostalgic shopfront was a complex contemporary build. The installation needed to integrate glazing, lighting, graphics and electrical elements within an existing space, while accommodating the challenges of natural light.
It also needed to be built offsite and transported to Auckland. We designed the structure in modular sections that could be assembled and tested in our workshop, then dismantled into modular components for transport and easy reassembly at Foodstuffs. While this added complexity to the fabrication process, it allowed our team to resolve much of the construction before arriving on site.
Connecting the past with the present
Completed in 2026, the Legacy Walk-through gives Foodstuffs a permanent space to celebrate its heritage and share its story with staff and visitors. From the old general store to the modern Four Square, the installation captures not only how grocery shopping has changed, but the history behind the brands New Zealander's know today.
For Human Dynamo Workshop, the project brought together creative thinking, historical research, strong art direction, detailed design and specialist fabrication to create an experience that is as much about discovery as it is about preserving the past.
Image credit: Magdalena Podbielkowska Bisley & Sue Dorrington
