Road Cone with Flower

On the first anniversary of the February earthquake, something simple and deeply moving  began to appear on the streets of Christchurch.

Flowers placed in road cones.

What started as a quiet, spontaneous act of remembrance quickly spread. Road cones, already an unavoidable symbol of post-earthquake Christchurch, were transformed into makeshift vases. Bright blooms appeared amongst roadworks and disruption as symbols of care and hope.

The idea travelled far beyond the city. People placed flowers in cones not only across Christchurch, but also in Wellington, Auckland, and overseas in Australia, London, Singapore, and Mexico City. It became a shared gesture of solidarity, connecting people across distance through a single, recognisable symbol.

The project was inspired by Henry Sunderland, a Christchurch design tutor and artist. Ahead of the first anniversary of the February 22 earthquake, he circulated a simple cartoon inviting Cantabrians to place flowers in traffic cones “to remember all of those who lost their lives, those who lost loved ones, and those whose lives will never again be the same.” The response was overwhelming.

Today, it’s estimated there are around 150,000 traffic cones scattered across Christchurch. While often joked about, cones have become part of the city’s life and visual language, representing both disruption and restoration.