Te Rou Kai by Chaz Doherty (Ngāi Tuhoe), Renata Blair (Ngāti Whātua) and Bernard Makoare (Ngāti Whātua, Te Uri o Hau, Te Waiariki, Te Kaitūtae), 2003.
Te Rou Kai is a 2003 work by Ngāti Whātua artists that is a cornerstone of Takutai Square, and a reference to the pre-colonial shape of the region.
Takutai Square, in which Te Rou Kai is located, is built on reclaimed land. The shoreline here was once a rich source of shellfish like pipi and other kai moana for Māori. This artwork is made up of 16 sculptural stones, steel pipi shells, and pop jets that shoot water upwards, representing the squirting action of the shellfish as they filter water for oxygen before expelling it.
