Ratepayers may choke on this kind of art

The artichoke lamps at Box Cafe. Photo / Herald on Sunday.

Eight new lamps in the refurbished Aotea Centre are emitting more heat than light, and it's been discovered that they cost Auckland ratepayers $134,000.

The "artichoke" lamps were hung over the Box Cafe and Bar as part of the two-year redevelopment of the central city arts and theatre complex.

Targetti New Zealand Ltd supplied the 70cm stainless steel fittings, made to a Danish design and ordered by the city council at a cost to ratepayers of $16,800 each.

Now the council has been forced to deny Targetti's claim that its contractors tinkered with the colour of the metal lampshades, so that they no longer reflect the light properly.

The lights were included as part of a $11.5 million refit of the Aotea Centre café, box office and canopy.

City councillor Jami Lee-Ross said he would be asking how the previous council justified signing off such a large price tag for the lights.

Fellow councillor Cathy Casey, who voted in support of the cost of the redevelopment, said she did not know the breakdown of the spending when she supported it.

After finding out the price of the fittings, she was "horrified" at the use of ratepayer money.

"Who spends $17,000 on a lamp for goodness' sake? I don't believe any Auckland ratepayer would believe this was a prudent purchase and officers need to provide the public with an explanation for this outrageous purchase," she said.

But Mayor Len Brown refused to respond to questions about the cost of the lights.

On its website, Targetti Poulsen describes the lights as a "classical masterpiece", made up of 72 "leaves" that shield, redirect and reflect the light on to underlying leaves.

The design enables viewing from any angle without seeing the light source located in the centre, the website says.

Targetti New Zealand Ltd sales manager Bailey Shelley said the lights were "quite expensive because they're an intricate thing".

But he believes the council has recklessly altered the colour of the lamps, damaging their artistic integrity and the quality of the light they emit.

The city council has denied Targetti's claim: "These lights are publicly owned and we can confirm that they have not been spray-painted or changed since they were installed."