Awanui’s Kā Uri centre wins at New Zealand Architecture Awards 2024

Glamuzina Architects won in the commercial category of the 2024 New Zealand Architecture Awards for its design of Kā Uri in Awanui. Photo / Sam Hartnett

An outstanding wānanga (university), a heroic building in Nepal and upgrades to the Kā Uri visitor centre in Awanui are among the 23 projects to be recognised as this year’s best of New Zealand architecture.

Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects’ 2024 awards were announced in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland last month and Glamuzina Architects was named one of the winners in the commercial category for work done to the Kā Uri cultural and visitor centre.

The centre, owned and run by Ngāti Kuri, showcases exquisite woodwork handcrafted from ancient kauri.

Kā Uri is a fully redeveloped cultural and visitor destination in Awanui. Photo / Sam Hartnett

Winners were chosen from a shortlist of 48 outstanding projects spread across 11 categories. They were judged by a panel of architects, including jury convener Caroline Robertson, co-director of Space Craft Architects; Ari Stevens, associate at Athfield Architects; educator Julie Stout; and Patrick Kennedy, founding partner of Melbourne studio Kennedy Nolan.

“So many senses are at play in the experience of buildings. It was exciting to see aesthetic loveliness formed from elements essential to buildings, the articulation of everything from mullions to sunshades showing a clear understanding of how these necessary pieces can be arranged both functionally and to make a satisfying spatial composition,” says Robertson of the winners. “Building is constructive by nature and you can construct really lovely spaces that are supportive of culture and narratives. These are buildings formed to carry out our daily activities, our work, our play, and also our self-expression.”

Kā Uri is a symbolic and physical gateway to Te Hiku o Te Ika where visitors will first encounter the narratives of Ngāti Kurī and the region. Photo / Sam Hartnett

Robertson said, “So many projects came from completely different walks of life, but used the vehicle of architecture to explore the potential of partnership between cultural groups. It was epic.”

Architect Dominic Glamuzina said he was honoured to have been part of the project and its kaupapa and that it had been the most “important project for our practice in terms of being able to see above sea level, to be able to look at the context through a different lens and to understand how a project is situated historically and culturally, and how a building can reinforce connections to the whenua and hapū”.

“It feels great to be acknowledged by our peers and to be able to talk about how the project provided a different approach to our usual architectural process.”

Glamuzina said Kā Uri was intended as a symbolic and physical gateway to Te Hiku o Te Ika and an opportunity for visitors to encounter the narratives of Ngāti Kurī and the region.

“It consolidates multiple programmes under one roof, including a gallery, cafe, and Te Tapuwae o te Waka (National Waka School) while offering the possibility of future growth and adaptation. Central to the success of this project is that it was commissioned by and for Ngāti Kurī. As clients and collaborators, they set the goals for this facility and provided us with an ambitious narrative and program. Our job was to synthesise this into a landmark building.”

Glamuzina Architects won in the commercial category of the 2024 New Zealand Architecture Awards for its design of Kā Uri in Awanui. Photo / Sam Hartnett

The design of the building centred on a long, linear plan that had to accommodate local visitors and tourist buses that went on a round trip to Te Rerenga Wairua. It also had to integrate with a workshop and waka school. The main entry to the building introduces the cultural history and narrative of the whenua and the iwi. The space provides a mix of media and taonga, along with contemporary objects produced in the kauri workshop. The entry connects to a retail shop and tourism information and then proceeds to the back of the building where there is a cafe, commercial kitchen and outdoor area that connects to the Awanui River.

The whare paku are located centrally in the space to provide amenity to the bus visitors. There are several other spaces such as a small gallery, archive and community incubator on the mezzanine that maintain a visual connection to the spaces below.

Various views and connections occur across the plan allowing curated and protected views into the waka school and workshop.

Large windows in the kauri workshop and waka school offer glimpses into the fabrication process. Photo / Sam Hartnett

The project was affected heavily by Covid, which hit the budget and timeline.

“The scope and scale of the project didn’t change, but we had to constantly reassess where we could prioritise the overall infrastructure of the project while understanding that compromises needed to be made to stay within budget,” Glamuzina said.

“We had to think laterally – using simpler materials and finishes inventively to achieve a high-quality outcome appropriate to the importance of the building’s programming and artefacts. The project also had to be understood as an ongoing work in progress that would develop over time rather than a finished building.”

He said the client, Ngāti Kurī, was heavily involved in all aspects of the project and was pleased with the overall results.

“Ngāti Kurī prioritised involving tangata whenua at all levels of the project from project management through to the contractors and tradies on site, and in its ongoing operation. The clients are really happy with the outcome and how the project has been able to navigate a varied programme and grow and change with time.”

The building was commissioned after Ngāti Kurī developed its own long-term goals and framework and are part of its much-larger plan for the region in terms of cultural and ecological regeneration.

Yolisa Tswanya is deputy news director at the Northern Advocate based in Whangārei.