Hundertwasser Art Centre's Cupola Installation

Hundertwasser Art Centre's Cupola Installation

The Hundertwasser Art Centre's crowning jewel is arriving soon! Join us on Friday June 25 at the Town Basin Marina as we watch the cupola installation. The cupola will be installed at approximately 8.30am after it is brought up the Hātea river by barge.

Any changes to this event due to weather conditions will be posted on the Facebook event page.

When is it being installed?

Friday, 25 June, 2021. The cupola will arrive at approximately 8.30am alongside the building site at the Town Basin Marina.

How are we moving it?

The cupola is being barged from Port Nikau to the Marina. It will then be lifted into place by a crane.

About Cupolas:

In architecture, a cupola’ is a dome-like structure on top of a building, often used as a lookout or to admit light and air. Traditionally, cupolas have appeared in churches and mosques throughout Russia, India, the Middle East and Central Asia.

The cupola is a common feature of Hundertwasser’s architecture. Gilded cupolas are incorporated in the artist’s other architectural projects such as Waldspirale residential complex in Germany, St Barbara Church in Austria and Maishima Incineration Plant in Japan.

Hundertwasser believed that a golden ‘Zwiebelturm’ (onion tower) beautifies architecture and provides those who enjoy it with the status of royalty.

About the Hundertwasser Art Centre's Cupola:

- Custom-made of aluminium in Whangārei.
- Has a surface area of 90m2.
- Covered in gold leaf - finished with a resin epoxy sealer, and a clear lacquer.
- The gold leaf was applied by hand in sheets 100mm x 100mm.
- If removed, the gold is worthless, as it would be too soft for further use.