‘Modern and uniquely Wellington’: Library blessing brings re-opening step closer

Saturday, 13 September 2025

Take a first look at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library (RNZ)

The opening of Wellington’s restored central library - Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library - came a step closer on Saturday with a dawn blessing and the unveiling of the library’s new artwork.

A council statement said the building would be a “modern, uniquely Wellington library” that acknowledged and embraced the history of Pōneke and had mana whenua narratives woven throughout.

More than 250,000 books are now being put back on shelves and a further 120,000 will be available in storage once the library re-opens next March

The library, which was closed in March 2019, is the first of the Civic Square projects that council’s James Roberts said “will bring communities together”.

The new main entrance of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui revealed.

A partnership between Wellington City Council and mana whenua saw designers Tihei Limited working as co-design partners alongside Athfield Architects, the building’s original designers.

Rangi Kipa (Te Āti Awa, Taranaki Whānui) from Tihei (mana whenua design lead) said: “I’ve used the word rawa (artwork) as a way to describe how these pieces are intimately connected to our people, to our story, to the future that we are bringing into being.

Te Tai o te Ao Marama by Ngahina Hohaia (Taranaki iwi, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Moeahu, Ngāti Haupoto—Parihaka) and Tihei.

“These cultural practices are the way we convey, transmit, and maintain mātauranga.”

Three mana whenua artists - Darcy Nicholas (Te Āti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, NgātIu Hauā), Ngahina Hohaia (Taranaki iwi, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Moeahu, Ngāti Haupoto – Parihaka) and Wiremu Barriball (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Raukawa, Te Rarawa) - created artworks inside the building .

Te Tai o te Ao Marama as seen by the staircase in Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui.

The outside of the building will honour the late mana whenua poet JC Sturm (Taranaki iwi, Te Āti Awa, Ngati Ruanui, Te Pakakohi, and Te Whakatōhea of Ōpōtiki mai Tawhiti) and her poem Brown Optimism.

New windows at Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui.

Sturm, also known by the names Te Kare Papuni and Jacquie Baxter, had a prestigious artistic career but also had a seminal role as a librarian at the Wellington Public Library for more than 20 years.

The poetry of late mana whenua poet JC Sturm, one of the first Māori librarians in the country, has been selected as one of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui Central Library’s artworks.

When Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui reopens the public will find not only the library services, but the City Archives, Capital E, a large ground floor café, linking to Te Ngākau Civic Square, two galleries as well as spaces to study and read.

A dedicated website is live at tematapihi.govt.nz, providing the first peek inside , including images of the art and artists, and information about the design partnership.

The overall cost of the four artist-commissioned artworks is $1.5 million. The total cost of the building design and build inclusive of furniture, fittings and equipment is within the $217.6m budget.

The official reopening celebration of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui is scheduled for Saturday March 14.