Port Otago’s new building, to be leased by the Otago Regional Council, will shortly celebrate a design milestone as the results of a co-design process become visible.

ORC’s Chair, Gretchen Robertson, says the redevelopment “continues at pace”, with the roof near completion, the framing of exterior walls now well underway and the windows due to be installed in the coming weeks.

“We are especially proud of the highly collaborative nature of the project. Throughout this journey all parties have worked closely to create a fit for purpose space, which will reflect the origins of the site and shared beliefs around respect for the environment” says Cr Robertson.

Port Otago and ORC have worked with mana whenua owned organisation Aukaha and architects GHD, in a co-design process, to weave mana whenua values and narratives into the building design.

The redeveloped Warehouse building is approximately 4,600 square metres and will host around 300 staff in a highly collaborative space, most of whom are presently spread across two Dunedin sites.

The site is significant to mana whenua with the Toitū awa (stream) adjacent to the site of the building, as well as the location of the old Māori hostel nearby.

In later years the area was home to a warehouse for New Zealand’s large clothing manufacturer, Ross & Glendining, who’s Head Office was close by in Stafford Street.

Co-Design Process

Aukaha’s Mana Ahurea (art and design) team have worked with mana whenua to provide Kāi Tahu values for the design works.

Kāi Tahu artists Ephraim Russell, Kate Stevens West, and James York have developed works which embed these values into cultural designs throughout the interior and external façade, which have been architecturally designed by GHD.

The design integration is based on cultural narratives written by Ōtākou upoko Edward Ellison and Tahu Pōtiki, which reflect on the importance of water quality and the historical narrative of the site of the building.

“Freshwater has a vital role in Kāi Tahu traditions, practices, and beliefs. We consider it a taoka (precious resource), influencing practices of mahika kai, and fostering a sense of respect, reciprocity, and kaitiakitaka (stewardship),” Mr Ellison said.

The Kāi Tahu connection to wai māori (fresh water) is embodied in the exterior vertical patterns in the feature panels, which are inspired by fresh waterways across Ōtepoti Dunedin, particularly Toitū, the awa that runs beneath the site of the building.

The tāniko (weaving) manifestations which run at the top of the exterior glazing embody the land and the movement of water that flow through the hills and mountains of the Otago takiwā (region). This design is repeated along the main exterior glazed elements.

Underpinning these designs are mana whenua values of kaitiakitaka, mana, rakatirataka, and manaakitaka– all values which express care for our natural environment, leadership that allows many voices, and upholding water and environment quality for future generations.

“It’s important to acknowledge the significance of the site to mana whenua, and we are excited to see tangible progress towards the repurposing of the building into a functional space that will support the numerous work programmes that we wish to advance with and for our communities” says Cr Robertson.

Construction update

Cr Robertson says there has been “positive progress” made by Port Otago and the construction team involved in recent months, and in keeping the construction programme moving forward, as the exterior’s sweeping façade connecting MacLaggan Street to Broadway takes shape.

Work will begin shortly on the interior walls, ceilings and linings, installation of building acoustics, heating and cooling infrastructure, with the ORC fit out scheduled to begin in the second half of next year.

The redevelopment is known as the Whare Rūnaka Project, with mana whenua in the process of providing a building name.

Project Facts

Port Otago and the Otago Regional Council (ORC) finalised redevelopment plans for the new building in February 2023. Port Otago acquired the building in 2021. The new building project was a priority in ORC’s Long-Term Plan 2021-2031 which committed to relocating Dunedin staff to a single head office site.

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