Smirnoff Centenary Sculpture

This sculpture was the first large, abstract public artwork to be commissioned in Auckland. Created by Marté Szirmay, who was a graduate student at Elam School of Fine Arts, the sculpture is made up of eight interlocking aluminium pieces.

With a seemingly brutalist look and feel, and made from utilitarian materials, Smirnoff Centenary Sculpture was designed to remind passersby of the industrial history of Newmarket. The highly reflective surfaces were also intentional, mirroring the hustle and bustle of the surrounding streets. Using manufactured materials and reflective finishes became a familiar characteristic of the artist’s work.

Szirmay won the first Smirnoff Sculpture award, which included the commission to create this sculpture for the Newmarket Borough centenary celebrations. It was installed at the intersection of Khyber Pass and Broadway in October 1969. In 2010, as part of an upgrade of the green space on the corner known as Lumsden Green, the sculpture was moved to its current site, closer to Broadway.