Photo: © Warren and Mahoney 2021
The ground has been turned and the building begun for a new whare for more than 7 million important documents. A building of national significance, Heke Rua Archives, the new purpose-built archives facility in Wellington is state-of-the-art, with purpose-built digitisation and conservation facilities also for the National Library Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, and Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision.
In fact, the new Archives building will be linked by a bridge to the National Library, creating a kind of public record and documentary heritage 'campus' for our stories, taonga and heritage. Built on the site of the original Pipitea pā, the project is unique in that the conception and design process has involved mana whenua Taranaki Whānui Te Āti Awa from the start. Kathryn is joined by mana whenua Tāhuhu Principal Advisor Hinerangi Himiona who has been involved in this process each step of the way. Also Arts Laureate Rangi Kipa, who led the design work on the new building, and Chief Archivist Stephen Clarke.
