Kawakawa Public Toilet

1999

Kawakawa, New Zealand

The local businessmen's association approached Hundertwasser requesting that he redesign this building dating back to the 1960s. Taking on the project allowed Hundertwasser to present Kawakawa with a token of his art. During the reconstruction process it was discovered that the necessary renovation measures would be more extensive than originally planned.

Hundertwasser became personally involved in the refurbishment, for example he created the columns by assembling Asian ceramics. He had a wall of bottles built as a reference to the "bottlehouse" on his own property in New Zealand. He also took charge of planting trees on the roof. He chose a plane tree for the front of the building and a tulip tree for the back. Maori arists and the artist Peter Yates were also involved in designing the project. The toilets were awarded the "Premier Creative Places Award 2000" on July 10, 2000, on the occasion of the Local Government New Zealand Annual Conference at Christchurch.