The University of Waikato’s new landmark Hamilton campus complex, The Pā, has put New Zealand architecture on the world stage receiving highly commended in the higher education and research category at the 2024 World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore.
The Pā was selected as a finalist due to its bold vision to redefine the University as place of bicultural welcome, education and connection. Members of The Pā project team presented on the powerful story behind the complex’s design and construction to a panel of three judges and the WAF audience. Judges were selected from a pool of more than 140 leading architects, designers, journalists and industry experts from 68 countries.
L-R: designTRIBE Director Rau Hoskins, University of Waikato Director Joseph Macfarlane and Architectus Principal Sector Leader James Mooney.
Three representatives from The Pā project team presented: University of Waikato Director Joseph Macfarlane, Architectus Principal Sector Leader James Mooney, and designTRIBE Director Rau Hoskins.
“The opportunity to share our story with an international audience was awesome, and the overwhelmingly positive responses from Festival attendees served as a reminder that The Pā is truly unique in the world,” says Mr Macfarlane.
The team was acknowledged for their success in delivering an innovative multi-functional complex including a student hub, wharenui and ātea, event space, and home for Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao, the University’s Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies.
It forms the most ambitious project in the University’s 60-year history and reinforces the University’s distinctiveness being unique in concept, functionality and architectural design: there is nothing else like it nationally or internationally.
Described by the World Architecture Festival as “the first mainstream university in the world to redefine the university as a place of bicultural welcome, education and connection,” The Pā serves as and symbolises the beating heart of the campus.
“The Pā exemplifies our commitment to creating an inclusive, innovative space that reflects our unique cultural heritage and supports our diverse student body,” says University of Waikato Vice-Chancellor, Professor Neil Quigley.
Through the co-design process, more than 30 carvers and weavers were commissioned in partnership with the Kīngitanga to deliver a clear and powerful narrative throughout the complex that draws on history, heritage, and cultural identity to create an inspirational and inclusive learning environment for all.
The Pā is also a finalist in the education category of the upcoming New Zealand Architecture Awards 2024 announced on Friday 22 November and won excellence in the education category at the Property Industry Awards 2024 in June.
