Lower Hatea River crossing in New Zealand, designed by Knight Architects, is a striking realisation at the centre of Whangarei District Council’s 20 year transportation strategy which is now in its final stages.

The 20-year road improvement project started in 1996 off the back of the 20/20 Transport Plan to address traffic flow through the region and has since delivered on the Porowini Avenue extension, Kamo bypass and the Lower Hatea River Crossing. Officially named Te Matau ā Pohe or “The Fishhook of Pohe”, the rolling bascule structure is designed to be recognisable by day and night, providing a positive gateway to the town basin area and as a structure that speaks strongly of the local character and culture of Whangarei. The project is now the subject of a breath-taking drone film which shows the intricacies of the function and form of this unique structure.

Martin Knight, Director of Knight Architects said: "We are bridge specialists but also bridge enthusiasts and having the opportunity to work on a bridge typology that is relatively rare was an exciting and enjoyable challenge. Successful structures reinforce the identity of a place and inspire people to take pride in their location. We learned a lot about long distance communication and innovative methods of designing and we are now bringing the new systems developed within the office for Lower Hatea River Crossing to our other new projects to great effect".

The concept design for the moveable bridge combined the efficiency of a rolling bascule with a distinctive architectural shape. Function and form, engineering and architecture, are perfectly integrated and completely indivisible in this design. The concept was informed by the appearance of Māori ceremonial fishing hooks and the practice is delighted the bridge has been named Te Matau ā Pohe.

Lower Hatea River Crossing drone film https://youtu.be/xxeTnRlGuxU 265m long and 17m wide  Directly links Town Basin and William Fraser Memorial Park (creating faster connection to Whangarei airport)  Only rolling bascule bridge in New Zealand  Officially named Te Matau ā Pohe – translated as “The fishhook of Pohe”, after the Māori chief who welcomed the first European settlers to Whangarei  Architect: Knight Architects  Contractor: McConnell Dowell / Transfield JV  Consultants: Peters & Cheung (Structural Engineer), Eadon Consulting (Mechanical, Hydraulic and Electrical Engineer), Northern Civil (Road Engineer), Speirs & Major (Lighting Design)