To most of us, the Waterview Tunnel Project was nothing more than a long-awaited road upgrade. But to a small, unseen group of people, the underground route was the dark centre of their working lives for many years.

Heading into the depths of the tunnel for demanding 12-hour shifts, their work on the subterranean build went by largely unwitnessed by most Aucklanders. But not by all. Photographers Tammy Williams and Gareth Moon were given the rare opportunity to join these teams and document the process. 

Setting out, the pair were conscious of the legacy that engineering photography has. From workers lunching on a high beam to a portrait of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, our fascination with scale, ambition, progress and the textures of construction give this subject extraordinarily enduring relevance.

Given little capacity in the working environment for posed setups, they adopted an observational approach and set out to generate an artistic record of the human spirit within the realm of science and engineering.

The results of the exhibition confirm the tunnel’s place in history. Graphic, iconic, and powerful. Engaging portraits and unreal landscapes. The photography tells a story of audacious engineering, humanity and the contrasts and interactions between the two.

The work below is a small selection of photographs by both Tammy and Gareth. You can view more of Tammys work at www.tammy.co.nz