The “Tall Hut” raises from the foreshore of Matiatia Bay, a beacon of arrival to the 2019 Sculpture on the Gulf Exhibition. The pavilion is extroverted in its presence, ambiguous in its meanings. A light-weight bamboo frame, cloaked in fabric and woven with pattern & colour, the pavilion is a collaboration between Moller Architects and artist Areez Katki. “Tall Hut” is a celebration of its surroundings and the traditional construction techniques of the Pacific. Deeply rooted in its place on the Hauraki Gulf, the pavilion takes on a volcanic formation; a vertical shaft spirals upward drawing together the land, the sea, and the sky.

With an ornate structural frame and woven textile exterior, the pavilion is resilient to the Hauraki Gulf’s changing environments. The pavilion is cloaked with a protective shawl, enwrapping the structural frame beneath, and providing partial weather protection to its occupants. Semi-open, the pavilion interweaves light and shadow as the interior compresses towards an oculus at the high point of the spire.

Seen from the water, the pavilion is read twofold; a dancing figure leaning towards the shoreline, while similarly viewed as a solitary lighthouse. It is this multiplicity of its readings that excites and draws attention. The project, as viewed through the lenses of individual interpretations lends itself to the sculptural and the iconic.