Project KINA

With the objective of creating a memorable, eye-catching and culturally significant piece to commemorate it being the 25^th public sculpture to be installed on Wellingtons waterfront, Nga Kina comprises nine giant KINA shells, each varying in scale from 2 – 3 metres in diameter. Commissioned by the Wellington Sculpture trust and designed by renowned artist Michel Tuffery MNZM, Nga Kina was officially launched on 20 November 2012 by Wellington’s Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, and is highly visible to visitors, commuters and others using the Waterfront promenade. Completing this project necessitated Styrotech CNC work with several different organisations with a view to bringing together the necessary skills required to bring the vision to reality.

By using a 3D scan of an actual KINA, FormScan 3D made it possible to replicate the unique organic shape of the original item, but on a much larger scale. Once the 3D scan had been processed and the 'raw'' scan date converted into a Parasolid file, Styrotech CNC then machined each Kina from large blocks of polystyrene. 

Once machining was complete. each of these blocks were assembled by GRCNZ Ltd., thus creating a complete KINA, which was then used as a male plug which was in turn used to create female moulds. These moulds were then used by GRC to create the final KINA using glass fibre reinforced concrete.

Each KINA was then painted and installed on the Wellington waterfront, thus concluding a project that combined the technology and skills of several companies.