Description:

The University of Waikato | Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato is the first mainstream university in the world to redefine the university as a bicultural place of welcome, education, and connection. Establishing a spectacular place of welcome onto the University’s Hamilton campus, The Pā is designed to transform the experience of campus life for students, staff and visitors.

A multi-functional facility at the heart of student life, The Pā gathers a wharenui and marae complex, the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, a student learning hub, and Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao - Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies beneath an all-encompassing whakarūrūhau. Its entrance is marked by a carved waharoa and grassed ātea, providing gathering space for ceremonial events and pōwhiri welcomes onto the campus. The project forms the most ambitious project in the University’s 60-year history and supports its aim to provide an authentic and immersive bicultural tertiary education experience to all students.

The University’s Hamilton campus is situated on Karipūkau, Hillcrest Ridge, overlooking the Waikato Plains. Karipūkau was once densely forested in kahikatea and tawa. Acknowledging the memory of this historic forest, and the surrounding wetlands, The Pā is constructed from massive timber columns and beams supporting the majestic whakaruruhau. The single storey central wharenui is the generator of both space and structure for the overall building. From the tāhuhu (ridge beam) of the wharenui, timber heke (rafters) intersect and extend outward and upward, enclosing the varying single- and double-height spaces beneath.

The interior spaces of The Pā are designed for versatility and adaptability, accommodating functions such as graduations, cultural performances, conferences, hui and events. The project also includes restoration the original building on campus, the A Block –home to Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao - Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, which overlooks the student hub and performance stage.

A co-design process, which extended to consultation with the Waikato-Tainui and the Kīngitanga, was key to the successful expression of The Pā’s purpose and significance. A Tikanga leadership group was established to provide leadership for the cultural considerations across the complexity of the project, including support and guidance for the projects carvers and weavers, refinement of the building’s cultural narratives, and guidance for the project’s carvers and weavers. Over 30 artists contributed to carved and woven works adorning The Pā under the mantle of the Kīngitanga, who provided support and guidance to the University throughout the project, including the commissioning of the artistic teams.