Glittering Art Installation on Soldiers’ Church

Glittering Art Installation on Soldiers’ Church Surprise Winner

"The Art of Remembrance: St David’s Church Installation” has won the 2016 Auckland Architecture Awards, Small Project Architecture Award – a category based on the size of the budget. It was presented to architects Warren and Mahoney in a ceremony last night at the Auckland Heliport in Onehunga.

The judges’ citation credits Warren and Mahoney’s “innovative architectural solutions” and provides a discerning nod to the large-scale art memorial by saying the work captured “the public psyche of remembrance”.

The outdoor art installation of Max Gimblett ONZM Remembrance golden quatrefoils spectacularly enveloped the red brick exterior of St David’s Church for three months in 2015. It’s been seen by critics as an ingenious collaboration between an internationally acclaimed New Zealand artist, an arts curator and the award winning architects.

“This is an award for the whole team and exciting because the judges have formally recognised that architecture sometimes crosses over from the work of architects into the work of others” says John Coop, Chairman of the Board and Regional Principal of Warren and Mahoney's Auckland studio.

When submitting the entry, Coop had no hopes for the now de-established project clinching a prize given it was “for just a moment in time”. Although pleasantly surprised about the win he credits art curator, Paul Baragwanath for being “the glue between the artistic intent and the heritage architecture of the existing building”.

“Warren and Mahoney cannily created a wave-like organic pattern within a structured grid on the brick façade - not easy given we were dealing with spacing quatrefoils along a vertical wire and there was absolutely no room for error” says Paul Baragwanath.
Unveiled in 2015 on ANZAC Day eve, ‘The Art of Remembrance’ was remarkably pulled together in only eight weeks from conception to completion. The project’s hand-screenprinted quatrefoils have now been acquired by the National Collection and are currently being exhibited in the Ngā Toi section at Te Papa Tongarewa until August.

The installation has evolved into a project of national significance through capturing the imaginations of Aucklanders and people across New Zealand and internationally. Funds raised from the sale of the quatrefoils priced at $200 each will contribute towards saving the historic building which currently faces demolition.

For more information go to: www.RememberThem.nz and www.SaintDavidsFriends.org.nz.

ENDS

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