Te Papa, Te Taiao Nature Exhibition Zone

The Te Taiao Nature Exhibition Zone at Te Papa is designed to serve as a reflection of the history and evolving identity of Aotearoa’s natural landscape. This Zone is a bold and immersive journey through the natural world of Aotearoa, combining cutting-edge science with mātauranga Māori. It features over 1200 artefacts from our natural world alongside dozens of brand-new interactive experiences. This project is the biggest change to Te Papa since it opened in 1998 and it required durable flooring choices that would help set the tone for the space.  

Various carpet tiles and rubber flooring helped bring this zone to life and the flooring choices were picked for their ability to aesthetically add to the theme of different areas of the space. The active land area at the back of the exhibition was inspired by volcanic eruptions with Shaw’s hexagon carpet tiles showcasing the dramatic colour shift from deep reds to lighter greys which is intended to emulate the flow of lava. Pops of green and yellow were enlisted in one of the collection areas which helps set the tone for the natural classification of the artefacts. The rest of the space uses neutral tones with textural elements that help set the tone of the space as a whole. These neutral tones also had to serve as a functional backdrop for light projections on the floor which add to the overall flow of energy through the space.

Products Used:

• Shaw Drift Tile
  • Awaken
  • Recharge
• Shaw Plane Hexagon Configure Tile
  • Red
  • Titanium
  • Yellow
  • Green
• Shaw Colour Shift Hexagon
  • Social
• Shaw Base Hexagon
  • Proportion
• Shaw Contact Hexagon
  • Social Dialogue 
• Regupol Rubber Everroll Core
  • Core Mons