| 33 Tennent Brown Architects ARCHITECTURE A place for union and connection The jury praised the project’s bold design decisions with the exposed aho, or threads, binding the whare together. T T Karen Phelps Tennent Brown Architects’ project, Te Whare Hononga has recently clinched the Civic Award at the 2024 Interior Awards. “Te Whare Hononga embodies its name – a place for union and connection – by bringing people together through both its design and its intended purpose,” explains Brenda Solon, project architect at Tennent Brown. “It’s a space designed for healing and learning, where stories can be shared and heard. It’s pretty special to win this award as it promotes the story of reconciliation and this is such a unique and groundbreaking thing to represent in a building.” Brenda says the project is also unusual in that the structure, designed by Dunning Thornton Consultants, heavily dictates and informs the interior. The walls are constructed of diagrid layers of shaped glulam and LVL members interdependently crossing each other, signifying common humanity and differing DNA. The roof is formed as a reciprocal structure where members are mutually supporting each other. “It’s an unusual dynamic timber structure so the interior had to be considered very early in the design for the building and was very tied in with the concept,” she says. The jury praised the project’s bold design decisions with the exposed aho, or threads, binding the whare together serve as a visual metaphor for this union. “The dynamic, non-orthogonal interior carefully layers and integrates the mahi toi, with its structure reflecting the weaving of a kete that holds precious taonga,” says Brenda. The other dominant element in the interior is the exhibition space by Story Inc, a New Zealand-based company that creates and consults on all kinds of visitor experiences around the world. “They have integrated the display into the fabric of the building. It was a close collaboration that was very successful,” says Brenda. The 198-square-metre visitor centre, education, and exhibition space sits on the grounds of Taranaki Cathedral Church of St Mary, where British forces were garrisoned during the Taranaki wars of the 1860s. The project aims to uplift tangata whenua on a site that, until recently, had no Maori interred in its graveyard. “The whare tells the story of Ngati te Whiti hapu and its interaction with St Mary’s. We understood the kaupapa as one of reconciliation and convergence,” explains Brenda. The building’s design is rich with symbolism. Its parallelogram shape breaks from the colonial grid, addressing key Maori sites of Pukaka and Paritutu. The exterior façade resembles a woven object, featuring a taniko pattern called ‘waharua kopito,’ which translates to a point where people or events cross. Inside the space is contemplative, says Brenda, with carefully positioned glazing connecting visitors to key site features. These apertures are best understood through the korero of the site’s history and significance for Ngati Te Whiti, she says. The project faced several challenges, including financing, heritage considerations, and the need to preserve notable trees. It formed part of the Government’s $5-million contribution towards the cathedral’s $20-million earthquake strengthening program. Despite these hurdles, Brenda says the team, which included cultural advisors from Ngati Te Whiti and artist Rangi Kipa, created a space that’s both visually striking and deeply meaningful. The project also won an accolade at the 2024 NZIA Wellington Architecture Awards in the public architecture category. Brenda considers that the dual recognition underscores the project’s significance not just as a building, but as a cultural landmark. BTW is proud to be involved in this significant project. PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH TENNENT BROWN ARCHITECTS & PROUD TO OFFER OUR SERVICES NATION WIDE All types of Domestic, Commercial & Industrial Designs & Installations • Full Electrical Designs & Installations • Electrical Inspections, Network Designs, Connections & ICP creations • General Electrical Servicing & Repairs • Phone & Data Installations, Servicing & Repairs • Full Solar Designs, Quotations & Installations, Servicing & Repairs • Electronic Services & Repairs • Full TV Aerial, Dish & Freeview Installations, Servicing & Repairs • Testing & Tagging, On & O Site • Full Heat Pump & Ducted Systems Installation, Servicing & Repairs
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