Coming soon to campus: Te Whare Wānaka

Beginning construction this month, Te Whare Wānaka is scheduled for completion in May/June 2026.

This significant milestone comes after two years of intensive project planning, including a design crafted by Warren and Mahoney and quantity surveying by Rhodes and Associates.

In addition to contributions from mana whenua, campus community groups have been involved in the planning process, with a series of collaborative workshops involving staff, students, LUSA and Te Awhioraki Māori Students’ Association held in 2024 to help shape the vision and design for the new whare.

While the Whare Wānaka project was developed as part of a broader campus master planning initiative following the Canterbury earthquake sequence that resulted in the loss of several University buildings and the closure of the former Student Union, it also represents a concerted effort to embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi on campus and to create a space that proudly shares Māori values with the University community.

Te Whare Wānaka was designed by Warren and Mahoney

As a Whare Manaaki, the new facility will provide a space for teaching, learning, ceremony and welcome, consistent with similar whare across Aotearoa.

It is designed to serve all students and staff as a place to build relationships and participate in campus life within a setting grounded in tikanga. The new whare will also become a vibrant hub for the wider community.

Te Whare Wānaka construction project

Site preparation and site investigation works are scheduled to commence within the next week or two.

Subject to the ongoing building consent process, we anticipate an approx. nine month construction programme starting in early September, with the appointment of the primary construction contractor due to be announced once the contractual arrangements are finalised.

Landscape restoration and new planting will be integrated into the overall construction project.

Location

Several potential locations were explored during the planning process, with the chosen site considered the ideal position for this keystone building.

Once completed, Whare Wānaka will sit to the east of the George Forbes Building alongside the University’s new statement entrance and Student and Visitor Centre, opened by Hon Dr Shane Reti in March 2025.

Te Whare Wānaka will be located to the east of the University's new entrance

Te Whare Wānaka will replace the existing Whare Wakakotahi, located on Calder Drive. Whare Wakakotahi has provided a welcoming and inclusive haven for our tauira, but it is poorly insulated, expensive to maintain and no longer fit for purpose.

Whare Wakakotahi