A new chapter for one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s oldest art galleries

After being closed for an extensive decade-long heritage redevelopment, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery reopened to the public in November 2024. The new architecture acknowledges the history of the existing building, while adding an entirely new building; Te Pātaka o Tā Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa, that acknowledges iwi and Māori narratives of the site and the awa (river) — a building that speaks to our bicultural past, present and future.

Te Whare o Rehua
The house of inspiration

The name 'Te Whare o Rehua' was gifted to the Sarjeant Gallery in 1995 during Māori language week. We wanted to centre it within the brand to shine a light on its rich meaning. The name can be interpreted as 'The house of inspiration'. Rehua is said to reside in the higher realms of the Māori heavens, which are associated with excellence and the pinnacle of potential. He is often personified in the sky through Antares, one of the largest and brightest known stars.

Starting with the wordmark, we developed a framework that let Te Whare o Rehua sit above Sarjeant Gallery. It made sense for the stars to be oriented upwards, and for Sargent Gallery to sit below, grounding us in the history of the heritage building.

Mark making, guided by the stars and the awa

From there we created a tohu (logo) that acknowledges Rehua, becoming the galleries star of inspiration. The tohu also acknowledges the shining tioata on the new building's facade. Tioata describes the effect of light shimmering on the surface of the awa. In this way, we are connected to the sky, as well as the awa, through concepts of light and enlightenment.

As you explore the gallery, the tohu continues to connect in new ways. In the heritage building 105 year-old surface ornamentation on the walls and in the observatory dome carry similar forms and geometry. And from above, the tohu mimics the coming together of the old and new building, in a bicultural relationship. It could even be the winding path of the awa itself.

Wayfinding across heritage and contemporary spaces

On the back of the foundational brand moves, we developed an extensive brand architecture for the gallery. Creating systems and styles for core institution collateral, including brochures, stationery, uniforms, merchandise and the gift shop packaging experience.

A wayfinding journey was developed throughout the gallery buildings with custom signage blades that reference the tioata shards, and extensive sponsors and patron walls.

Seasonal energy through exhibition identities

While the gallery identity carries its own mana, it was important to make space and acknowledge the individual exhibitions that bring the gallery to life. Seasonal shows become the reason to return to the gallery, bringing relevant themes and timely conversations through art. A system for exhibition identities was developed to work in harmony with the institution identity, allowing for a wide range of appropriate expressions to fill the gallery and demarcate one exhibition space from another.