Four stone walls, which symbolise those found throughout rural Whangarei, will be shaped like sperm whales. The whales' heads will be made of steel, perforated with a unique cultural pattern.
These will light up at night and banners will flutter from poles above the whale pod.
Whangarei District Council's team leader for major projects, Marie-Katrin Richter, said the sculpture would be built by a team assembled by Culham Engineering over the next five to six weeks along the footpath next to State Highway 1.
"Traffic flows won't be affected from the works. The construction site will be fenced off during the work and pedestrians will be directed past the site."
Senior landscape architect Jed Whitaker said the gateway would continue in the footsteps of other sense of place projects such as the Hatea Loop, the Laneway and the Pocket Park which have all contributed to developing a sense of centrality in Whangarei.
"The small gateway represents the pride and uniqueness of the community and a promise made to visitors for what to expect within our city."
He said once people turn into Central Ave, they will connect with other work being undertaken to direct people to the city centre.
