The design team investigated the current practices and methods for hāngī in Aotearoa, and worked with the Tūpuna Maunga Authority and Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau to define what hāngī would look like in a Maunga context.
The hāngī pits and kai space at Whānau Ātea welcome hāpori whānui (the wider community) to sit and enjoy kai together in a setting appropriate for large whānau groups. Alongside the cooking of kai is the sharing of kai together as a communal experience, bringing together the hau kāinga and manuhiri, and shifting state from tapu to noa. The hāngī pits represent a cultural paradigm shift in how we can cook and share kai in public space in Aotearoa. Finding innovative solutions for storage, health & safety, food service, infrastructure and shelter in a functional, beautiful space was a challenge.
Boffa Miskell worked on the external pit frame and surrounds, and in particular a secure lid system that would exclude vandals, protect the pit infrastructure, and have a dual role as a serving table when the hāngī was opened. Various options for folding and hinging the lid were modelled and tested but proved too heavy to operate by two people. In partnership with EPS Fabrication a lockable, sliding lid was developed, and fabricated in aluminium to reduce weight. A
A bespoke shelter structure was designed to give the pits mana and a presence, and allow for the practicality of needing to intentionally channel smoke to avoid the impression of an out-of-control fire. The storage shed was designed in collaboration with Rewi Spraggon and the landscape contractors HEB, as we wrestled with the practicalities of how to dry sacks, where to store firewood and baskets, how to cleanse the space after use, and what kinds of tools needed to be stored.
Large-grade titoki were planted for long-term shade in the kai space, as well as enhancing the diversity of tree species. In addition, grasses and reeds have been planted around the hāngī and kai space to filter water and run-off from hāngī operations. Puka have been planted to provide a long-term source of leaves to wrap and cover kai, complementing the karaka already on site
Māori traditional play experts, hāngī knowledge holders, Māori and Pasifika artists and kaitiaki (guardians) have been involved throughout the project, sharing narratives, offering technical advice on traditional materials, and assessing the outcome through construction and at the end of the project.
For many involved, the project was a deeply personal kaupapa to return hāngī to the maunga after 160 years absence.That the end result looks deceptively simple, and is an authentic expression, is testament to the skill and expertise of all those involved.
