Pounamu Pathway shortlisted for 2024 World Architecture Festival

The Māwhera Pounamu Pathway building has been shortlisted in the cultural buildings category, a significant achievement for the West Coast.

The Pounamu Pathway centre, designed by Christchurch firm RM Designers, houses an interactive experience by Weta Workshop, narrating the story of Poutini Ngāi Tahu, their heritage, and the trade of pounamu (greenstone).

The project was led by Rachel Mechen and Laura Goddard, two talented young mothers whose innovative design is now competing alongside international architectural marvels such as the Chengdu Sci-Fi Museum in China and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art in Turkey.

The 2024 World Architecture Festival, scheduled for 6-8 November at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, will showcase the best in global architecture. The Pounamu Pathway's inclusion in the Completed Buildings – Culture category is a testament to its outstanding design and cultural significance.

The Pounamu Pathway, Māwhera, is built on the original site of Tūhuru’s pā. The building, conceptualised to house an interactive experience by Weta Workshop, tells the rich history of Poutini Ngāi Tahu and their pounamu trade. The design features mass timber construction, with a canopy representing a pākē (cloak). The timber structure of the cloak was inspired by the mesh used in nets for harvesting seafood from the nearby river and foreshore. The semi-translucent canopy allows natural light to seep through, creating a serene atmosphere inside.

The anchor column of the canopy is wrapped in a corten shield adorned with a woven tapestry of local iwi symbols, reflected in the internal wayfinding screens and mezzanine floor covering. The local timber cladding symbolises an ecological approach, representing the carbon sequestration of the mass timber elements. A mesh chandelier, suspended from the double-height void, mimics the flow of water from the adjacent Grey River.

Bernie O’Fagan, Director of RM Designs, praised the collaborative nature of the project: “Our client, Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu, described the story of the site. Weta Workshops explained the experience they were creating. Our team designed a building with strong cues that hinted at these key ideas they were creating with Ngāti Waewae and Makaawhio. Ultimately, it's a project that is the result of many ideas joyfully colliding, moulded by much more than one hand or company. It is a true collaboration. Visiting the venue Pounamu Pathway – Māwhera is an experience that is deeply moving and inspiring, and it is a design we are very proud to have worked on.”

The building owners, Poutini Ngāi Tahu, are thrilled to see their development gain international recognition. Co-chairs Francois Tumahai and Paul Madgwick of Ngāti Waewae and Ngāti Mahaki expressed their excitement: “We asked for a bespoke building that reflects something of our iwi, and RM delivered with a spectacular design!”

Finalists: Category - Completed Buildings – CULTURE

• Antalya Necropolis Museum, Turkey
• Chengdu Sci Fi Museum, China
• Istanbul Modern (Istanbul Museum of Modern Art), Turkey
• Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum, Turkey
• John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Nigeria
• MPavilion10, Australia
• National Portrait Gallery, UK
• Pounamu Pathway – Mawhera, New Zealand
• Seddülbahir Fortress, Turkey
• The Round, Australia
• Zhuhai Jinwan Civic Art Centre, China