The Pā

The Pā is an innovative and versatile facility designed to transform the on-campus experience for the University and its community. Located on a prominent ridge, The Pā provides a welcoming new main entrance and multi-purpose facility for the Hamilton campus that reflects the University’s unique character.

Organised along the primary east-west pedestrian axis through the campus The Pā brings together four key projects under one roof structure; the wharenui to the east, a wing for the University executive leadership team to the south, a central student hub, and the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies Building within a refurbished 1960s space on the western edge.

A design concept of manaakitanga was central to this project and is expressed throughout the project’s organisation and design. The central wharenui inspires the building’s overall form, acting as a generator of space and structure. In situating a wharenui and broader marae complex at the heart of the campus, the project provides a metaphoric framework to express values of inclusiveness and connectedness. Timber heke (rafters) cross, rather than terminate, at the tāhūhū (ridge beam) of the wharenui, extending outward and providing support for the whakaruruhau (roof) which protects the building from the elements and unites the multitude of activities below.

Inside The Pā a range of spaces and amenities, coupled with the flexibility to host a wide range of activities at various scales. These spaces offer students a place to gather, study, and socialise throughout the day as a key part of an enhanced campus community experience.