Giant Gollum installed at Wellington Airport

A 13-metre-long Gollum catching fish swimming in the main terminal building at Wellington Airport has been installed ahead of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiere.

It has been developed by Weta Workshop and Wellington Airport to welcome visitors to the Wellington region in New Zealand.

The Gollum creation was designed and facilitated by Weta Workshop’s creative lead Richard Taylor and Workshop Supervisor Rob Gillies to create an unforgettable experience into Wellington Airport, the gateway of the Wellington region, New Zealand.

The Airport has also renamed their terminal, welcoming arriving passengers with a sign saying ‘The Middle of Middle-Earth’.

Steve Sanderson, Wellington Airport’s Chief Executive said: “As the first and last impression to our region, the Airport is proud to work with Weta and have this magnificent sculpture on display for all to see. Everyone will be amazed when they enter the terminal.

“Visitors can walk under and around Gollum and the fish to explore the sculpture’s beauty and intricate detail; it really does feel like you’re in the stream with him.”

Art Directed by Rob Gillies, Gollum was 3D modelled into the airport display space. It was then created as a partly digital, partly physical sculpture by a team of 18 Weta Workshop sculptors, model makers, painters and other specialists.

Milled and sculpted from huge blocks of polystyrene and coated in epoxy resin, Gollum weighs in at 1.2 tonnes and stretches more than 13 metres into the airport terminal. You can view a video of the installation here. 

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