Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens & Kaipara Coast Landscape Architecture

The walking trail in the Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens directs visitors along a one kilometre windy pathway with approximately 50 sculptures strategically placed within the rural garden so that they are gradually unveiled.

The Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens are attached to the Kaipara Coast Plant Centre which is supported by the Kaipara Coast Coffee Stop, approximately four kilometres north of the rural village of Kaukapakapa, north of Auckland, with views out over the Kaipara Harbour.

The ‘Flight Path’ sculpture within the 2017 exhibition is a colourful oasis of fun that is nestled in amongst vegetation at the end of an avenue of Hydrangea bushes and Elm trees. Striped panels form a backdrop to bright cube furniture and many colourful birds that form a fluttering canopy above. The partially transparent Perspex bird silhouettes throw colourful shadows onto the panels and ground which add to the playfulness of the space with passing breezes playing with the birds and giving them extra life.

Sculptures throughout the Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens are constructed out of a wide variety of materials, many of them natural, with earthy tones that blend in and complement the rural setting. The vibrant colour combination chosen for this exhibit is a burst of colour that aims to stimulate the senses and provides a contrast with the surrounding sculptures and gardens.

Designer of the space and the sculptures, Geraldine Bayly, makes the most of the rural setting and unique location as a place to experiment with her love of bright colours and create an element of surprise for visitors. Geraldine has a natural passion for colour, and can’t resist dabbling with the beautiful bright tones. She wanted the splashes of colour and vitality of this enclave to inspire people, to give them the confidence to be a little daring in their own spaces. The fresh colours provide a visual ‘pop’ in amongst the plants of the garden centre.

The palette of bold colours includes Resene Poppy, Resene Adrenalin, Resene Spotlight, Resene Picton Blue, Resene Wet N Wild, Resene Kakapo, Resene Japanese laurel, Resene Windsor, Resene Scrumptious with contrasting Resene White, all finished in Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel paint, chosen for its ease of use and longevity.

The sculptures within the sculpture gardens are created by artists from all over New Zealand, with some international artists. This year Geraldine Bayly is one of the exhibitors with the Flight Path installation.

At the same time that the ‘Flight Path’ exhibit in the sculpture gardens was being created, the Kaipara Coast Coffee Stop was having a dramatic transformation. The design intention for this area was to freshen up the small kitchen and serving area and give it some vitality and life.

The colourful stripes that were used in the Flight Path exhibit within the sculpture gardens were drawn into the food display area under the benches, with the colours used again in hand painted signage for a more organic and relaxed effect fitting the rural location. Potted colour, bright table cloths, more stripes and hand painted signage add to the character of the space and complement the outdoor, garden centre setting. The walls are finished in Resene Half Spanish White with the ceiling in Resene Anakiwa, both in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel.

Architectural specifier: Kaipara Coast Landscape Architecture
Building contractor: David Bayly – Built and Hung Panels
Client: Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens
Colour selection and painting: Geraldine Bayly
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2017