City Rail Link
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Construction art

Construction art
 

The City Rail Link is New Zealand’s largest infrastructure project and also the country’s largest art project. 

During construction, our main delivery partner, Link Alliance, established partnerships with local artists and groups, to add another layer of vibrancy to communities surrounding the Maungawhau Station, Karanga-a-Hape Station and Te Waihorotiu Station.

The collection was wide-ranging for the public to enjoy - from photographic to structural pieces, self-guided art walks and children's creations. 

Art Walks

Traditionally used to separate the public from construction activity safely, the City Rail Link instead used its hoardings as blank art canvasses. Kilometres of art-adorned hoardings formed the art project’s backbone.

Link Alliance Art Walk brochures provided a self-guided opportunity for neighbours to experience the city's biggest art project on their terms. 

Link Alliance-CRL Te Wai Horotiu Station (Aotea) Art Walk (PDF 2MB)

Link Alliance-CRL Maungawhau/Mount Eden Station Art Walk (PDF 3.2MB)

Link Alliance-CRL Karanga a Hape Station (Karangahape) Art Walk (PDF 14.6MB)

Te Manawa, the heart

Te Manawa means ‘the heart’ in Te Reo. Link Alliance established Te Manawa at 1 New North Road as a state of the art facility housing a public visitor centre, specialist training facilities and offices for project staff.

It was home to five sculptural reliefs by artists who belong to a homeless collective known as Awhina Mai Tatou Katoa (AMTK). The five artworks represented mātauranga – traditional knowledge and education – with all who visited.

Commemorating Dame Whina Cooper, a national icon

Our tunnel boring machine, named by the public after renowned Māori rights activist Dame Whina Cooper, constructed CRL’s twin tunnels that connects Maungawhau Station and Te Waihorotiu Station.

Dame Whina Cooper was commemorated on the TBM with bespoke iconography (symbolic artwork) that represented unity, new life, respect and friendship. You can see explanations for each element of the iconography in the image below.

Our popular Art Walks

Auckland Festival of Photography

During construction, CRLL and Link Alliance partnered with the Auckland Festival of Photography. Exhibitions around the City Rail Link construction sites showcased the work of local, talented photographers. Tours guided by the photographers gave people deep insight into each exhibition. Past exhibitions, included one by our very own construction photographer, Mark Barber.



Our young artists’ work on display at Te Waihorotiu Station

When the Te Waihorotiu Station opens, the artwork of 4,000 tamariki will line the walls.

In 2020, the City Rail Link called for the country’s tamariki to create a piece of art showing where they would take a train if the CRL tunnels were magical and could take them anywhere, real or imagined. The call saw Kiwi kids from hundreds of schools across the country share their masterpieces.

Our Artists

The City Rail Link wouldn’t be New Zealand’s largest art project without many talented, local artists!

We have listed all of the artists who have contributed to the project so far, in alphabetical order and with their website and/or contact details so that you can reach out to them.