Me Rongo / Walk in Rainbows

Colours of the rainbow are cast onto the stairwell of a central Manukau car park, adorning seven floors of grey, utilitarian space with an interactive display. Me Rongo / Walk in Rainbows is a collaboration between Reuben Paterson, one of New Zealand's most dynamic contemporary artists, and Taranaki-based prism maker Walter Foott. Together they developed a giant curtain of hand-cast prisms, using geometry and natural light to enhance the car park's stairwells in a vibrant rainbow.

As well as beautifying the space, the artwork has a functional purpose. Each of the carpark's seven floors has its own theme colour, becoming a subtle wayfinder for those who walk up the stairs.

While the rainbow has long been seen as a symbol of joy and good fortune, it has more recently become representative of inclusion and unconditional love. Me Rongo / Walk in Rainbows helps to brighten up the space with another rainbow-inspired artwork from Lonnie Hutchinson, called I Love You / Aroha atu, Aroha mai. Together they are known as Night and Day, with Hutchinson's neon installation representing the night and Paterson’s honouring the day.