The highly successful inclusion of art work in the design of two inner city recycling hubs has encouraged the Dunedin City Council to seek artists’ help with two more hubs in the tertiary area.

Waste Minimisation Officer, Leigh McKenzie, says art work was used in the Moray Place and Jetty Street hubs so they would reflect the local area and be attractive to the residents.

“We have had really positive feedback. Residents really like them and like to use them,” Leigh says.

The Moray Place hub was completed in August 2017, incorporating Stuart’s pergola concept, blending the structure into the existing garden-scape.

Artist Stuart Griffith, in collaboration with Laurie Forbes, designed the Jetty Street recycling hub to recall the former and present uses of nearby buildings for printing of various kinds. Installed in October 2017, it resembles a row of metal lockers from a changing room or workshop, covered in what Stuart describes as “a forgotten language… the correction marks made by proof readers in the printing industry… a contemporary equivalent to the experience of seeing ancient hieroglyphs”.

Leigh says, “We are going ahead with two more hubs, this time in the tertiary precinct. The University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic are really supportive.

“We’ve begun talking to nearby landlords, and we want students to offer design ideas, to give them a sense of ownership. Otago Polytechnic Project Manager Rebecca Hamid is helping by recommending designers, artists and engineers who may help.”