Te Ara Tupua Artworks & Coastal Resilience Prototyping (2026)
Te Ara Tupua is one of NZ's most significant infrastructure projects, creating a 4.5km cycling and walking connection between Wellington and Lower Hutt along the harbour's western edge. Working alongside engineers, artist Len Hetet (Waiwhenua Design), master carvers, mana whenua and landscape architects, Human Dynamo Workshop contributed to a number of technical and cultural elements across the project.
Collaborators
Client: Te Ara Tupua Alliance
Artists: Len Hetet (Waiwhenua Design) with master carvers
Engineering: Tonkin + Taylor
Foundry: The Heavy Metal Company
Creative Production Partner: Human Dynamo Workshop
More than a transport link, Te Ara Tupua strengthens the resilience of the coastline while celebrating the history, culture and identity of Te Whanganui-a-Tara through integrated artworks, design and storytelling.
Coastline resilience
Before construction on the sea wall began, we partnered with engineering consultancy Tonkin + Taylor to produce precision scale 'X-Bloc' units for wave pool testing. Manufactured to exact specifications, these prototypes enabled the coastal defence system to be tested and refined under simulated wave conditions, helping Tonkin + Taylor to validate the design before full-scale construction of the X-Bloc system.
Bronze sculpture
As the public artworks for Te Ara Tupua began to take shape, we produced the precision MDF blanks that formed the foundation of the bronze Tauihu (the prow of the waka) and Taurapa (the stern of the waka) sculptures on the bridge. These blanks were hand-carved by master carvers before being cast in bronze by The Heavy Metal Company.
We worked alongside the landscape architects to ensure the finished sculptures met public safety requirements, including climb risk and finger entrapment standards, while maintaining the integrity of the māori artworks.
Pou templates
Our team also produced carving templates for 140 greenheart timber pou that can be found along the Petone waterfront. These templates became the foundation from which junior carvers shaped the finished works, supporting emerging artists to develop their carving skills while contributing to the cultural narrative woven throughout Te Ara Tupua.
Image credit: Magdalena Podbielkowska Bisley
