Richard Smart Photo: Richard Smart
When celebrated and rather unconventional Austrian artist, philosopher and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser died in the Bay of Islands in 2000 part of his legacy were designs for an arts centre for Whangārei. That long-awaited arts centre - complete with the largest afforested roof in the southern hemisphere - opens 20 February.
Hundertwasser emigrated to New Zealand in the 1970s to realise his vision of living closer to nature. Carpenter and architectural designer Richard Smart worked with him for the eight years before his death and is the sole New Zealand representative of the Hundertwasser Foundation. Due to Covid, Hundertwasser curators were not able to come to install the opening exhibition, so instead Smart flew to Austria last year to learn the “Hundertwasser way”.
