Tauranga City Council's Access to Water project has taken a creative twist, with artists brought in to give the area some unique flavour.

Kiwi artist and lighting designer Marcus McShane has been tasked with creating an installation for the new pier which is due to be completed in April 2017.

He says as a light designer his projects tend to be temporary as a result. He hopes this new design will be both 'active' and 'responsive” as it will integrate technology to create an audio-visual wonder.

'It's called ‘Wash',” he explains. 'A wave of light will move along the pier, triggered by actual waves in the water, even those created by boat wakes or swimmers. There'll also be an audio component, with waiata or noises from around Tauranga playing.”

He hopes to work with Wellington composer Tane Upjohn-Beatson on some of the aural content.

Earlier this year Marcus created a work for the New Zealand International Arts Festival, and in 2015 his works were installed in the NZ New Performance Festival at La MaMa in New York. He was also chosen to represent New Zealand at the Prague Quadrennial.

In 2009 he designed ‘Heat', a theatre piece lit by custom LEDs which toured its own wind and solar power system and became the world's first self-powered and emission-neutral piece of professional theatre. He has received five Chapman Tripp awards, including Chapman Tripp lighting designer of the year for 2011 and 2013.

Project leader Morgan Jones says council put the call out for artists earlier in the year with the view to incorporating new work into the waterfront.

'We had about 40 artists respond, which we shortlisted down to four. From that group, two were selected.”

The other artist is Elliot Collins, who has exhibited at Tauranga Art Gallery and will be working on the tidal stairs part of the project.

Artist's impression of the new pier installation. Supplied image.