Camera Obscura
Hātea River, Whangārei

As enthusiastic supporters of this community-led project, Harnett Builders acted as main contractor to help create this innovative sculpture in Whangārei.

The 8m spiral steel sculpture, located on the popular Hātea Loop walkway, houses a Camera Obscura room – a free-to-use interactive art experience, where the public can step inside and view the world in a different way. Designed to celebrate the maritime history of the Hātea River, the shape of the building takes inspiration from nature, and tells the stories of the river from both a Māori and European perspective.

With few if any straight edges, the project presented some interesting challenges for the team. But collaboration with several local contractors, many of whom also gave their time freely to the project, saw the Camera Obscura successfully completed and opened in November 2020.