• America’s Cup mural competition winner Abbey Barlow with TBBA CEO Terence Harpur (Left) and Benefitz MD and Channel Magazine publisher Aidan Bennett. Abbey’s design – that earned her the $4000 prize – will be printed and installed on the wall (behind) as a 10 metres wide by 6.5 metres high print by Benefitz.
  • Abbey Barlow’s winning design.
  • The two mural designs that received runner-up prizes by Rosina Yuan (left) and Sophie Joy (right). They each received $500.

Takapuna's America’s Cup mural design competition winners!

Abbey's design chosen to celebrate America's Cup 36 taking place off our coastline

Between December and March Auckland is hosting the 36th America’s Cup, the event that will see Emirates Team New Zealand defend the cup they won in Bermuda. The pre-events all lead up to find a challenger, with the actual America’s Cup Challenge taking place in March. Takapuna and Devonport are the grandstand for the events, with three of the five courses to be sailed off our coastline.

Action starts in mid-December with the America’s Cup World Series. The Prada Cup is held in January and February and then the main event, the America’s Cup, is on between March 6th and 21st.
Channel Magazine, Benefitz and the Takapuna Beach Business Association teamed up to produce a massive mural – 10 metres wide by 6.5 metres high – celebrating the 36th America’s Cup. The owners of a prominent building ‘beachside’ in Takapuna have offered their wall for the mural to liven up the place for the big event.
Over recent months creative people have been invited to enter a competition to come up with a vibrant design for the mural. The winning design is being used on the mural and the designer wins $4000 for their efforts. There are also $500 prizes for two runner-up designs – making a total cash prize pool of $5000!
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! From a good number of entries, the design entered by 19-year-old Abbey Barlow of Northcote was chosen by an independent judging panel that included the building owners and Terence Harpur, CEO of the Takapuna Beach Business Association. The runners up were Sophie Joy and Rosina Yuan.
Our winner Abbey Barlow is in the first year of a degree at AUT, studying communication design. She previously attended Westlake Girls. The $4000 will be put toward her studies and possibly a new laptop. Study will be at least three years but may be extended to complete a masters. Congratulations Abbey!
Abbey’s winning mural (pictured along with the two runner-up entries) was printed and installed on the wall by Benefitz in early October. Make sure you get in to Takapuna and have a look. The building is located close to the Takapuna Beach playground, with the mural facing towards Franc’s Bar, Tokyo Bay restaurant and Regatta Bar & Eatery.


Issue 114 October-November 2020