Netherlands Embassy Fit-out — Tūhono ki te Ao a Tangaroa (2026)

Collaborators:

• Artist: Len Hetet - Waiwhenua Design

• Client: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

• Architects: Tennent Brown Architects

• Main Contractor: Black Interiors

• Creative Production Partner: Human Dynamo Workshop

The brief

When the Embassy relocated its Wellington office for the first time in more than 40 years, there was an opportunity to create something more than a standard fit-out. Artist Len Hetet (Te Ātiawa Taranaki Whānui) was commissioned to develop a work that could reflect both Dutch and Aotearoa perspectives. Not as two separate histories, but as cultures connected through a shared relationship with ocean exploration, navigation, and movement. That idea became “Tūhono”, meaning to join or to connect.

Grounded in the realm of Tangaroa, atua of the sea, the work speaks to duality and exchange: water and land, departure and arrival, one culture meeting another across currents. Central to this visual language is the puhoro pattern, a form traditionally associated with speed, flow, and navigation. It references the movement of water around a paddle or the hull of a waka as it cuts through the sea - the swirls, pull, and directional energy created in its wake. Here, that pattern becomes a metaphor for ocean currents and wind paths - the invisible forces that have long carried people, knowledge, and connection across distance.

We came on as a creative production partner to help carry that narrative forward, translating an artistic concept into a built form that could be carefully integrated within the Embassy’s new space.

The challenge

• Material selection wasn’t just about performance or cost, it was about what each material said. The batten system and materials needed to read well in a New Zealand context and align with the intent of the work.

• To avoid the work feeling like an applied layer, the work was to be fully embedded in the build itself. The carving needed to run cleanly across hidden doors and a large pivoting wall, with no visual breaks.

• A tight install window meant everything had to be resolved ahead of time. There was no room to figure things out on site.

Process & Approach

We worked closely with Len throughout, testing and refining how the design would translate into the build. Early prototyping and sample carving were important to validate the look and understand how the forms would actually behave once cut. From there, we evaluated about six different batten systems, but ended up developing a custom system that could accommodate CNC carving. It was more effective and economical than any off-the-shelf option.

We considered Scandinavian Pine and American Oak but neither felt right in an NZ context. We instead landed on New Zealand Silver Beech (Tāwhai) paired with Floc — a wool-based acoustic panel system. These local, low maintenance materials won on their own merits, while grounding the work in place.

With a tight install window, 3D parametric modelling was key. We treated the model as a live tool, updating it as site conditions evolved, and using it to answer questions in real time. The model carried the project through fabrication, and was critical in resolving complex problems ahead of install.

Result & Impact

The carved timber forms inside the Embassy are integral to the building. Moving like currents across the surface, they reference connection, movement, and shared Dutch and NZ histories, sitting quietly but purposefully within the space. The use of New Zealand materials adds depth in a way that feels natural.

Creative intent and technical thinking are carried through together in this work. Complex elements like hidden doors, moving walls, and tight tolerances are resolved without compromising the integrity of the artwork.

Image credit: Magdalena Podbielkowska Bisley