Construction begins at Heke Rua Archives Building

As the official guardians of New Zealand’s documentary heritage and record of government, Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand hold irreplaceable taonga for the nation.

The new Archives building will be built on part of the original Pipitea Pā whenua, on the shores of Wellington Harbour where Thorndon Quay and the present-day Pipitea Marae are now situated.

Representatives from Taranaki Whānui Te Atiawa and Tihei design studio, led by Rangi Kipa, worked with the design team from Boffa Miskell and architects Warren+Mahoney through a Te Ao Māori co-design process that sought to integrate identity, values and stories within the design of the building and the plaza surrounding it, thus connecting the new construction to the whenua and the original people of Pipitea Kainga.

Project lead Michael Hawes says, ““Although the plaza is a small part of the overall project, it plays an essential role in acknowledging the place and creating the potential to connect visitors to the whenua and people that lived on it before.

“Through the generosity of stories and values shared through the co-design process, the plaza design has developed to integrate opportunities for people to meet, gather, shelter and engage with each other and these connections.”

Boffa Miskell designers have been consistently involved through the co-design process. In the plaza, the form of which references the Wellington coastline and bush-covered hills beyond, visitors will see references to the original pipi beds, gardens and kumara mounds that supported the once-extensive Pipitea Pā .

“Within the plaza space, we’re trying to reference the cultivation of the gardens, which were here for many years,” says landscape architect Megan Walker.

“A series of mounds evoke the pattern and form of kumara mounds whilst providing a playful way for children and families to engage with the space.”

The new building will provide a state-of-the-art archives repository and specialist facilities for Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library of New Zealand, and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.

Working with Mana Whenua from the outset is an important part of shaping the public realm says Michael. “A co-design process allows us to bring our technical expertise and the power of design together with the authority of Mana Whenua in integrating identity and stories into the landscape.”

Learn more about the project, and the co-design. Watch the video here