The Hundertwasser Toilets is a public toilet located at 60 Gillies Street, the main street of the town of Kawakawa in northern New Zealand. The structure was completed in 1999 and named after the architect and visual artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who conceived and designed the project. It is one of the few toilet blocks worldwide seen both as an international work of art [1] and a tourist attraction in its own right. [2]
The toilet facility was designed by the reclusive Austrian and New Zealand artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who lived near Kawakawa from 1975 until his death in 2000, aged 71. [3] The decorative toilet block is the only project designed by Hundertwasser in the Southern Hemisphere and the last project completed within the artist's lifetime. [4] The style is typical Hundertwasser, with wavy lines, irregular ceramic tiles, integrated small sculptures, coloured glass and a live tree incorporated into the architecture.
Recycled materials, including the community's spent glass bottles and bricks from a former Bank of New Zealand branch, were used throughout. [5] [6] Hundertwasser requested that any vegetation removed for construction should be replanted on the building's green roof. [7] The toilet was opened in 1999. Functionally, it does not differ from other ordinary public toilets. There are separate men's and women's areas, but both sides are sometimes viewed by the more curious visitor after giving suitable advance warning. [8]
The Hundertwasser Toilets are considered the main attraction of Kawakawa [9] and the most photographed toilet of New Zealand. [10] The bus-loads of tourists who view the toilets far outnumber the individuals who visit simply to use the facility. [11]
In October 2020, Te Hononga Hundertwasser Memorial Park was opened by prime minister Jacinda Ardern. The complex is designed to celebrate both Hundertwasser and local Māori heritage, and incorporates a library, visitor information centre, cafe, freedom camping facilities and other amenities. [12] [13] [14] It was planned and developed by a community trust led by Noma Shepherd, a community leader who had previously worked as Hundertwasser's farm manager. [15]
Friedrich Stowasser, better known by his pseudonym Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser, was an Austrian visual artist and architect who also worked in the field of environmental protection.
Wellington College of Education was established in 1888 with the purpose of educating teachers in New Zealand. It became the Faculty of Education of Victoria University of Wellington, formed from the School of Education of the University, and the Wellington College of Education on 1 January 2005.
Whangārei is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. It is part of the Whangarei District, a local body created in 1989 from the former Whangārei City, Whangārei County and Hikurangi Town councils, to administer both the city proper and its hinterland. The city population was estimated to be 56,900 in June 2023, an increase from 47,000 in 2001.
The year 1999 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
A public toilet, restroom, public bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils or prisoners and are commonly separated into male and female toilets, although some are unisex, especially for small or single-occupancy public toilets, public toilets are sometimes accessible to people with disabilities. Depending on the culture, there may be varying degrees of separation between males and females and different levels of privacy. Typically, the entire room, or a stall or cubicle containing a toilet, is lockable. Urinals, if present in a male toilet, are typically mounted on a wall with or without a divider between them. Local authorities or commercial businesses may provide public toilet facilities. Some are unattended while others are staffed by an attendant. In many cultures, it is customary to tip the attendant, especially if they provide a specific service, such as might be the case at upscale nightclubs or restaurants.
Kawakawa is a small town in the Bay of Islands area of the Northland Region of New Zealand. Kawakawa developed as a service town when coal was found there in the 1860s, but coal mining ceased in the early 20th century. The economy is now based on farming. The town is named after the kawakawa shrub.
The Hundertwasserhaus is an apartment house in Vienna, Austria, completed in 1985, after the idea and concept of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Events from the year 1999 in art.
The Opua Branch or Otiria-Opua Industrial Line, partially still operational as the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, is a former section of the North Auckland Line in the Northland Region of New Zealand, between Otiria and the Bay of Islands township of Opua. The first section was constructed as a bush tramway in 1868 and converted to a railway in the next decade. Today the railway is partially used by the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, which runs tourist services between Kawakawa and Lone Cow. The line's centrepiece is the section where it runs down along the main street of Kawakawa.
Far North District Council is the territorial authority for the Far North District of New Zealand.
The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust (BOIVRT) is a heritage railway in Kawakawa, in Northland, New Zealand. The railway operates on part of the former Opua Branch railway.
Otiria is a rural locality in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It neighbours Moerewa to the east, with the nearest major town, Kawakawa a few kilometres further eastwards. Other nearby localities include Pokapu to the south, Orauta to the west, and Hupara to the north.
Mongonui and Bay of Islands was a parliamentary electorate in the Far North District in the Northland region of New Zealand, from 1871 to 1881. It was represented by three Members of Parliament.
Uelzen is a railway station located in Uelzen, Germany, at the eastern edge of the Lüneburg Heath Nature Park. The station is located on the Hannover–Hamburg railway, Uelzen–Langwedel railway, Stendal–Uelzen railway and Brunswick–Uelzen railway. The train services are operated by Deutsche Bahn, Metronom and Erixx.
Eugenie Meryl Sage is a New Zealand environmentalist and former politician. She was a Green Party Member of Parliament in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2011 to 2023.
The Hundertwasser Art Centre with Wairau Māori Art Gallery is an art and cultural centre in Whangārei, New Zealand. It is the conception of artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who lived near Kawakawa for 30 years, and was first designed in 1993. The project proved controversial and was considered and rejected a number of times until it was approved by a binding referendum in June 2015. The centre opened on 20 February 2022 with the inaugural exhibition, Puhi Ariki, curated by Nigel Borell.
Uretiti Beach is a stretch of beach between Ruakākā and Waipu on Bream Bay to the south of Whangārei in Northland, New Zealand. It comprises the coastal side of the Uretiti Recreation Reserve and Uretiti Scenic Reserve, and is served by a Department of Conservation (DOC) campground within the Recreation Reserve. Uretiti Beach is popular for swimming, surfing, and fishing, a well-known clothing-optional beach, and camping area for the LGBTQ+ community over the New Year period.
The Northland District Health Board is a district health board with the focus on providing healthcare to the Northland Region of New Zealand. In July 2022, the Northland DHB was merged into the national health service Te Whatu Ora.
Noma Jeanne Shepherd was a New Zealand community leader. Based in Kawakawa in the Bay of Islands area, Shepherd's contributions to the community over many years included supporting the creation of the Hundertwasser Toilets and being instrumental in the establishment of Te Hononga Hundertwasser Memorial Park, which opened in 2020.
Axel Peter Carl Downard-Wilke also known as Axel Wilke, is a New Zealand transport planner and engineer known for his advocacy for cyclists in cities. He is also a prominent New Zealand Wikipedia editor.
hundertwasser AND new zealand AND toilet.
