Kawakawa will be flushed with pride as the Northland town’s iconic Hundertwasser toilets have officially been recognised as a historical site.

The quirky loos are the only existing, standalone public toilets to be listed as a Category 1 historic place by Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga.

Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga Northland manager Bill Edwards, who researched and wrote the listing proposal, said the Hundertwasser toilets’ heritage values are “remarkable” despite its young age, having only been created in 1999.

“The distinctive structure is unique and is the only public building in New Zealand Hundertwasser was directly involved with. Today it is a Northland icon, drawing an estimated 250,000 visitors a year.”

The late Austrian-born artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who became “smitten” with Northland during a visit to New Zealand in 1973 for an art exhibition, gave the concrete block public toilet building a “radical surgery”, Edwards said.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser, creator of Kawakawa’s famous toilets. Photo / NZME

“The building has a playful golden orb...serving as a vent, as well as recycled bricks from the old BNZ building, donated bottles used throughout the building and columns at the front of the building created by assembling brightly coloured Asian ceramics.

“True to type the cobbles laid on the floor have an undulating form on an uneven surface.”

Hundertwasser believed it was good for people to walk on uneven floors in order to regain human balance.

Recycled bottles were used at the back of the building to allow light but keep privacy. He also incorporated one of his many trademarks: a living roof.

Edwards recounted how Bay of Islands College students prepared ceramic tiles for the revamp and volunteers completed its construction.

“The result is a manifestation of his [Hundertwasser] vision of the philosophy that the building should be a peace accord with nature. What he and the wider community created is a building that brings joy.”

A peek inside Kawakawa's iconic Hundertwasser toilets. Photo / Sri Krishnamurthi

Hundertwasser’s commitment to turning the Kawakawa toilets into something truly unique reflected his relationship with the Bay of Islands community, Edwards said.

“It is utterly unique - an authentic one-off from an artist who embraced the community at Kawakawa, and who was in turn embraced.”

When the internationally renowned artist first visited New Zealand, he bought a Morris Mini and explored the country to meet locals and make the most of swimming in the sea.

“Frederick was smitten with what he saw,” Edwards said. “His first stay lasted 148 days and he was enthralled with the people and the country.”

So much so that he bought a 200ha property in the Kaurinui Valley near Kawakawa when he visited New Zealand again the following year. His new home would be where he lived and work until his death in 2000.