A new circular structure dubbed the “Skylid” has been installed outside the eastern entrance of Waitematā Station, forming the centrepiece of a new public square due to open in February 2026.

Described by a residents’ group as having “beamed down saucer-like from the skies,” the Skylid carries a sand‑blasted design created with mana whenua. The artwork, by Graham Tipene (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Manu), was blessed last week at a dawn karakia led by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.

Tipene calls the piece “a map,” referencing the Waihorotiu stream and its meeting with the harbour. “The centreline represents the meeting place of these two waters,” he says. The design also references fish life and the pursuit of knowledge, with “dips in the line‑work” speaking to disruption and how it’s navigated.

The Skylid is eight metres in diameter and was installed in two parts weighing a combined 31 tonnes, crane‑lifted into place in September. While safety fencing remains around the wider site, the central Skylid is already accessible to the public.

Auckland Council and City Rail Link Limited are upgrading surrounding streets and spaces ahead of increased pedestrian flows when the City Rail Link opens in the second half of 2026. The new Waitematā Station Plaza will sit between Te Komititanga and Takutai Square.

John Fillmore Contracting is delivering the plaza works, with Jagas Paving and Precast building the Skylid. Jagas says the pūhoro pattern was produced in segments and welded to maintain the design’s flow across larger surfaces.

Tipene’s recent work and the use of indigenous design in urban spaces drew attention from international delegates during November’s World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education in Tāmaki Makaurau, where visitors viewed his Waka Moana and Waimahara installations.