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type of cultural capital. The national seed-bank designed within this thesis encapsulates this concept of cultural capital within a system of regeneration. Vivipary: germinate on the parent plant so that seedlings are well developed by the time winter occurs.
The transformation of these two sites into one system in dialogue becomes a strong case for creating an exemplary touchstone, an ecological and cultural crux, with which the public can identify. As ecologist Colin Meurk says “If
Recalcitrance: High water content must be kept for these seeds to germinate, even if they are dormant. Must be sown immediately and kept moist for as long as dormancy continues.
people don’t see something, it becomes irrelevant to them.”94 This is a crucial factor when one considers the long-term preservation of our natural heritage. New Zealanders need to have the presence of these native landscapes close at hand, which is impossible while so many of those landscapes are relegated to
Quiescent: Rapid germination process. Must be sown immediately upon collection.
the fringes of our perceptions as unconnected fragments. By connecting these fragments of lowland forest to one another, and also to the urban environment inhabited by Te Papa Tongarewa inhabits, these landscapes are made accessible, not only in the physical sense, but more importantly, in the sense of being
Dormant seeds (low temperature catalyst): Seed must be subjected to period of low temperature (at least a month) to encourage germination.
understandable. Generating this conceptual and intellectual accessibility is the primary reason for designing the regeneration system across two sites. Inserting a natural process into the urban environment has the power to spark a dialogue which
Dormant seeds (light catalyst): Can stay dormant for long periods of time until they are exposed to light - often opportunistic shrubs
values these native landscapes as a source of cultural capital; and placing this dialogue within the national museum sets the stage for a discussion of landscape and landscape regeneration’s role within New Zealand.
94 Macfie, R. (2011). ‘Nature Ground Zero’. New Zealand Listener, 34-36. 36.