Waka Moana

Daldy Street, Auckland Central

Project Type: Commercial Exterior

Lighting Design: Norwich Group

Artist: Graham Tipene

Landscape Designers: Land Lab

Photography: Auckland Council

A visual and spiritual voyage from Papatūānuku to Ranginui.

Created by local artist Graham Tipene, Waka Moana features nine towering waka inspired sculptures along the pedestrian pathway at Wynyard Quarter, Tāmaki Makaurau. Each hull, crafted from tōtara and GRP and rising 6 metres high, forms a totemic corridor linking land, sea and sky while honouring Māori culture and the area’s maritime heritage.

The Lumascape LS3042 Erden E4 Foundation fixture was specified to be strategically set with a narrow horizontal beam and carve dramatic shafts of light beneath the waka.

Inlite NZ are honoured to have been part of illuminating such a powerful tribute to culture, connection and the natural world.

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Luminaire Selection

The Erden E4 in-ground luminaires were carefully selected with a narrow horizontal 10° x 40° beam to precisely articulate the height and curvature of each waka. The optic allows the light to sweep the vertical surfaces without spill, maintaining contrast and sculptural definition. At night, the lighting reinforces the spiritual and narrative intent of the artwork, adding legibility, drama, and a sense of reverence to the pedestrian journey.