By 3 News online staff
Maori and British heritage and a contemporary multicultural society have come together under a meeting house in a national competition to design an alternative New Zealand flag.
Auckland-based Studio Alexander has won a $20,000 prize from the Morgan Foundation, which had put out a call for an alternative flag that represented the spirit of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan, who is pro-flag change, says he has strong views on what the flag should represent – only he couldn't draw it himself.
Studio Alexander chief executive Grant Alexander says the red, white, blue and black flag, named Wa kainga / Home, brings different parts of New Zealand society together – much like the South African flag.
The red, blue and black triangles represent Maori, British and New Zealand's modern multicultural society, respectively. They're tied together by the white band, which is reminiscent of the Maihi on the front of the Maori meeting house.
Mr Morgan believes the official design brief on alternative flag designs – of which there were more than 10,000 submitted – wasn't clear enough.
So he created his own competition – with a monetary reward – which attracted around 1000 entries.
The competition was judged by designers Mark Pennington, Catherine Griffiths and Desna Whaanga-Schollum. It was then submitted into the national design competition.
The deadline for submissions for the alternative flag design closed earlier this month, with the Flag Consideration Panel expected to create a long list of between 50 and 75 by next month.
The top alternative designs will then be whittled down to four for the first of two referendums about the flag change.
3 News
