Company:
Baytex

Project Details

Fabric 1

Precontraint 902 Formula S2
Producer: Serge Ferrari Lyon France
Supplier: Serge Ferrari Lyon France


Engineer Name 1
Benson Zhang

Engineer Company 1
REDCO NZ Ltd

Design Name
Todd Muspratt

Design Company
Baytex

Architect Name
Andrew Lingman

Architect Company
Baytex

Fabrication Name
Katie Duncan

Fabrication Company
Baytex

Project Manager Name
Andrew Lingman

Project Manager Company
Baytex

Installation Name
Andrew Lingman

Installation Company
Baytex


Please describe the project specifications

Baytex were approached by First Principle Architects in Mount Maunganui to design and create an Entry Canopy at Mangatawa. Mangatawa’s Papamoa Blocks Incorporation office is located in the Papamoa hills with a total land holding of approximately 750 acres. The building is designed to represent a whale’s tail in keeping with ‘The Legend of Mangatawa’. The canopy design and shape represent the connection of the building to the land.


What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

The client requested a free standing contemporary covered fabric canopy to receive visitors to the main office. The shape had to represent the base of whales tail and incorporate a 5 metre custom made maori carving by a local artist.


What is unique or complex about the project?

The story behind Mangatawa created the concept for the design.

Long ago, a whale and her baby swam into the Tauranga Harbour. They swam through the entrance, past Mauao (Mt Maunganui) and Te Moutere o Matakana to Te Papa (Tauranga).
They decided to venture further into the harbour, so they swam up past Te Papa and Matapihi toward Maungatapu. Once there, they found the water getting shallower, and got lost and stranded on
the mudflats of Rangataua, trying to find a way back to the open sea. Tired and thirsty, they stopped at ‘Karikari’ on the eastern shore of Rangataua to drink from a spring. They did not know that the spring was magic and that drinking from the spring would turn them into stone. They began to drink. Suddenly all life departed from them.
They both became fixed with the mother whale gazing northward out to the sea and the baby whale nestled beside her. The father whale came in search of his family. He saw that they had turned to stone. He too, drank from the spring and became fixed behind the mother and baby whale.

Additionally we were asked to come up with a concept for an interior water feature tying in with ‘The Legend of Mangatawa’. This was a large stainless steel and glass water feature inside the main office.

There is a spring at the base of ‘Mangatawa’. Sometimes the water flowing from it is quite white, and it is said to be the milk of the mother whale or ‘Te Waiu o te tohora’. Mangatawa rests there as a guardian of the people of Tauranga Moana and Te Arawa.


What were the results of the project?

The client and iwi (Local Moari Tribe) have been extremely happy with the canopy and the representation it holds so closely to the legend . The time frame we were given to design, complete and install the canopy was extremely challenging with final design to installation happening in less than 4 weeks but all went very smoothly. This resulted in a confidence with Baytex team from their vision through to the final result.

The project building and canopy has also just won 3 major New Zealand architectural awards for the architect and building construction company, we were very proud to be part of the process.


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