History
This building was given its name of Te Raukura at an opening dawn Ceremony on Waitangi Day, Sunday 6 February 2011. Previously the building was known as Te Wharewaka. Te Raukura is of special significance to descendants from Taranaki iwi of Te Atiawa, Taranaki, Ngati Ruanui, Ngati Tama and Ngati Mutunga. Previously the area where the building is located was harbour frontage to Te Aro Pā, one of the largest Māori communities in Wellington up until the 1880s. The building sees the re-establishment of a Māori presence on Taranaki Wharf, notably absent on the waterfront since that time.
Te Raukura
Te Raukura is an important symbol to the tribes who affiliate to the Taranaki rohe. This symbol is captured in the form of a white feather, or a plume of white feathers. Te Raukura represents spiritual, physical, and communal harmony and unity. It is an acknowledgement of a higher spiritual power, which transcends itself upon earth. It is a symbol of faith, hope, and compassion for all of mankind and the environment that we live in. There are various accounts of how the Raukura feather became such a significant symbol to the people of Taranaki. Its origins tend to look within the tribal boundaries of the iwi, Taranaki, with particular reference to the marae of Parihaka. One such account refers to a gathering of people at Parihaka who witnessed an Albatross landing on one of its courtyards, dropping a single feather before departing. This feather became the Raukura, and was honoured by Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti-o-Rongomai, two of the prophetic leaders of Parihaka, and its community. Through the distinct and honourable leadership of these two prophets, the Raukura feathers became a symbol of peaceful co-existence as a Māori nation. This appealed significantly to the iwi of Aotearoa who had become fervently oppressed and marginalised by the Crown. The Raukura feathers were a symbol of the passive resistance movement that Tohu Kakahi and Te Whiti-o-Rongomai orchestrated as a means of re-elevating the mana of the Māori people with a desire of being autonomous once again. It is stated that the Raukura feathers encompass teachings of the Bible, with particular attention to the following passage: He whaikororia ki te Atua i runga rawa Glory to God on high He maungarongo ki runga i te mata o te whenua Peace on earth He whakaaro pai ki te tangata Goodwill to all mankind (Luke 2:14) Traditionally, the Raukura was worn either as a single feather resting upon the head or in the hand of the bearer, or as a crest on the chest area of a garment. It is also worn as a plume of three feathers in the hair which capture the meaning of the above Bible passage. The Raukura is a symbol of remembrance for the deeds of the Māori ancestors who vehemently resisted the Crown via peaceful opposition. It is a symbol which continues to guide the Māori people today with wisdom and hope for a peaceful co-existence.
The Building
There are three parts to Te Raukura — the Wharewaka (waka house), Whare Tāpere (conference/events and entertainment house), and Wharekai (eating house). The elements of the building include whakairo or carvings and modern renditions of traditional design which transform the building symbolically into a ceremonial waka (canoe) linked to the ancestor Kupe and the voyaging traditions of the Pacific peoples. Within the whare, Rongo, the god of Peace, reigns. It is in this atmosphere, under a cloak of peace, that people interact with one another and with the spirits of their ancestors (Te Marae by Hiwi and Pat Tauroa, 1986, Reed, Auckland, p. 92.)
Te Wharewaka
The Wharewaka (waka house) is viewable from all sides, and open on occassion to the public during the day. Waka can be launched into the lagoon for ceremonial occasions via the slipways. Waka ama will be used on a more regular basis for training and competition.
The Korowai
A distinctive aspect of Te Raukura is the concept of the exterior korowai (cloak). The korowai is developed in the design as an outer layer giving protection in a manner similar to that which the korowai gives to the human body. The cloak covers the body of Te Raukura, draping down its sides. It has been designed to allow transparency and facilitate access into and out of the building where desired and to provide enclosure elsewhere. It also enables environmental control to the building, creating shade and providing shelter. The sculptural form of the cloak creates a constantly changing visual expression to the building. The sides of the cloak have been shaped to create forms symbolic of waka sails, reinforcing the maritime heritage of the project.
Maihi and Amo
The maihi (bargeboards extending from the building) represent sides of a waka. They are a blend of tōtara boards lashed in the nature of a waka and have the symbolic rauawa or top boards of a carved waka rendered in laser-cut aluminium. The lashing ends will blow in the winds like raukura feathers. The pattern is repeated in the two amo which support the maihi and attach to the front columns of the building.
Pare – tomowaka and tomowhare
The entrance to Te Raukura and Te Wharewaka have carved tōtara pare (lintels) over the doorways. The design for these pieces, including the maihi and the amo, were done by Rangi Kipa and involved a number of carvers as well as Richard Carroll (Carroll’s Joinery Ltd) in the execution of the work.
Star Compass on the Ātea - Aronga Mana
Inlaid into the forecourt of Te Raukura is the Ātea, the traditional Polynesian star compass. This has its origins in traditional voyaging navigation by waka hourua and locates the stars and constellations as the horizon is approached. The waka themselves are used as a star compass. The 360° horizon around the canoe was divided up into different sectors named ‘houses’ and these were marked on canoe railings. Navigators would know that the arcs of the sun and other stars cross the sky at different heights depending on the time of year. This canoe is travelling due north at the spring equinox, when the sun rises due east and sets due west. At night the rising and setting of stars were used to align the canoe in a direction of travel. For example, when Star A set, Star B was used, and so on through the night until the earth’s own star, the sun, rose. The sun was used at dawn and dusk.
This was designed by artist Eruera Te Whiti Nia of Rarotonga and is based on a simple tāniko figure of three colours, black, white and red. The construction method for the compass used specially cast and coloured concrete pavers set into the ātea. The surrounding pattern was achieved with concrete saw cuts into the slab. The design features niho taniwha (teeth of the taniwha) patterns which represent a welcome for visitors. The pattern also relates to Maunga Taranaki – Mt Taranaki - and the connection of Taranaki Whānui. The star compass design provides the cultural linkage between the Kupe statue and the building. Kupe could be seen as the external tauihu or prow of the building which itself could be viewed as a waka.
Statue of Kupe
The statue of Kupe, in front of Te Raukura, shows the legendary Polynesian explorer with his wife, Hine Te Apārangi, and his tohunga, Pekahourangi.
