Te Matakīrea - Advanced Indigenous Design Unit

Studio:
Warren and Mahoney

Collaborators:
Greenaway Architects

Year:
2021, 2022, 2023

Services:
Creative strategy
Design direction
Marketing
Publication design
Print production
Art direction
Brand activation
Campaign series
Interior design
Artwork integration
Signage and wayfinding
Cultural narrative

Warren and Mahoney recognises that indigenous cultures are essential to the built identities of all progressive and self-aware societies. As a part of the brand’s Advanced Indigenous Design Unit (a new generation of designers and cultural leaders) we were tasked with exploring the places where we live, work and play, and their deepest foundations in partnership with local Mana Whenua (custodians of the land) and communicating rich cultural ideas and narratives.

Te Matakīrea is a vehicle for innovation and it represents a ‘best of both worlds’ approach. It gives our clients access to a team with focused cultural expertise and sensitivity, while drawing on Warren and Mahoney’s unparalleled design and technical resources to deliver built outcomes, communication tools and brand activations which are transformational in every respect.

Te Iwa o Matariki

With Matariki soon being recognised as a national holiday in Aotearoa, our challenge was to explore and share the meaning of Matariki within our studios. The project seeks to highlight what Matariki means, how we can celebrate, where to participate in the traditions, and how we can embed the beauty of this celebration in our everyday lives. This was realised through a Matariki handbook; maramataka (moon phase dials); a series of illustrations and posters displayed around a number of event spaces; and a light installation hosted within our studios. These tangible outputs coincided with a number of experiences and events hosted across our five studios; including weaving workshops, taonga pūoro wānanga, guest presentations and sharing traditional kai.

Matariki has relevance to all. It collectively reminds us to connect to each other and our world, offering seminal lessons as we search for ways to creatively solve the problems of our time. This multi-faceted project explores togetherness, a collaboration across five studios, between disciplines and industries to showcase the strength of a united team.

‘In Te Iwa o Matariki, the elegant use of black and white, texture and typography in print brings to life both the meaning, the feeling and spiritual significance of Matariki, in a way that is both specific to Māori culture, and universal. This is echoed in the installation, through the use of sculpture and light, which is absolutely captivating. In addition, the work is infused with the collective process of creation and innovation, carrying and giving form to the voices of whanau. Te Iwa o Matariki is a striking and moving expression of content and process, of form and meaning, and ultimately an elegant and multi-layered work of design that I found informative and inspiring.’

Leslie Tergas, Juror,
Australian Graphic Design Awards (AGDA)

Melbourne Studio

Warren and Mahoney’s new Melbourne Studio celebrates its authentic anchoring within Wurundjeri Country whilst acknowledging its New Zealand Māori heritage. It identifies the strong synergies and coming together of both cultures, counterposing an iconic neo-gothic backdrop. In a world first, the new studio is conceptualised on strong cultural narratives which bring together First Nations and Te Ao Māori perspectives.

Upon entry, the tri-cultural thinking reveals the cultural depth with distinctive hand painted artwork, inspired by Country, inscribed onto the original concrete columns set against the striking gothic arched windows. These illuminated columns create a journey of mnemonic markers that lead you a through a spectrum of workplace experiences. At the centre of the 690sqm workspace footprint, the convergence of two cultures is amplified - a collaboration zone cloaked with interwoven charred timber planks which reference traditional fire burning practices and geometric patterns from both cultures.

Entering the central space through either of its its dual portal uncovers an energised space lined with richly coloured and highly patterned acoustic panels. The patterns etched are an expression of breaking barriers, encouraging original thought, extraordinary diversity and collaborative outcomes which design deserves in these times.

The cultural expression is nuanced, echoing history and memory, while evoking a Country centred approach rich in meaning, encoded rather than interpreted. This new dynamic space acts as cultural lens to enhance experiencing togetherness, a deeper understanding of land and context - grounded in heritage and future focused.