City Rail Link
Upon joining Alt Group I was placed into a team with Creative Director Dean Poole, and Design Director Tyrone Ohia. Discussions, museum visits, and meetings with mana whenua garnered greater understanding of the goal of Auckland’s City Rail Link. I set out to understand what makes Auckland both physically and culturally, and how we can incorporate that into the design of 4 stations.
Being a tourist in my own home helped me to further understand a sense of tūrangawaewae. A deeper connection to Auckland was required to truly give justice to what will be Auckland’s biggest infrastructure project for many years to come.
Plotting maps around Auckland, I set out to hike the hills and learn about the shore beds surrounding our harbours. Samples were collected from various locations over 6 months gathering a true representation of Auckland, and what lies beneath. This meant hauling car loads of various wood, stone, and other samples back to Alt for them to be photographed. The result is a full library of the make up of Auckland’s geology.
The final concept for Auckland’s City Rail Link project lies in a discussion between Ranginui and Papatūānuku. Rangi is the sky, and Papa the earth; their children lie in between them. This created the concept of a solid and fuzzy mass, with the night represented in the threshold between. The first reading must be that of a train station - a meeting ground or hub for people to come to and take public transport. The second reading is of the structure, the solid and fuzzy nature of the building, the warmth and closure that each station brings to the area. The third reading is then composed as the internal artwork and sculpture mounted in each ceiling.
City Rail Link is an ongoing project expected to be realised by 2024. Alt Group provides continuous support along the journey.
Creative Director - Dean Poole
Design Director - Tyrone Ohia
Designer - Chris Smith