2025 Waikato/Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards Winner
Whare waka
This delightful whare iti is a powerful reminder of how much activation a small shelter can have. The final piece of the Rotorua lakefront development is orientated on an ancestral Tongariro / Maketu ley line and also on the sightline from the downtown ‘Eat Street’ precinct. A narrow but long form determined by the waka is built primarily from glass and a steel structure on three sides to create a minimal interruption to the landscape. The slim roof profile features a bespoke gutter system that integrates with the extended eaves, creating an elegant weightless form. The large glass doors on the north end allow direct access to Lake Rotorua. Inside on the birch ply ceiling we are reminded of the ley lines typographically, with the ancestral narratives etched onto opposing corners of its length. The ceiling also draws forms from the precision joins and lashings found on the waka itself. Tribal tāniko patterning interleave the slatted timber screen, creating a slow reveal when approaching from the west, providing protection from the late sun and creating ever-shifting forms that oscillate with the light before it descends behind Mount Ngongotahā. A thoroughly pleasing collaboration between the architects, Council and iwi, notably artist and cultural advisor Lyonel Grant.
- Practice
- DCA Architects of Transformation
- Category
- Small Project Architecture
- Location
- Waikato/Bay of Plenty
