Projects
Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui
Client
- Wellington City Council
Project Leads
Sector
Location
- Wellington
Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui – Wellington Central Library is finally on the cusp of reopening after a transformation that’s been years in the making. Closed since 2019, the much-loved building has been carefully strengthened, restored and modernised to reflect Wellington’s character while protecting its cultural and heritage value.
The result is a renewed public space designed to welcome people back into the heart of the city — a place for gathering, learning and community connection.
RCP has played a central role throughout, providing Engineer’s Representative and full project management services. That involvement has stretched across the entire lifecycle – from managing the hard strip-out, design, and ECI engagement, procurement and construction, through to completion of the main works. Along the way, the team worked closely with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to review heritage-sensitive designs, and engaged early and consistently with mana whenua through Tihei Limited and the Mana Whenua Reference Group, ensuring cultural design has been woven into the project from the start.
Beneath its familiar 1990s postmodern façade, Te Matapihi now incorporates advanced base isolation, Fibre Reinforced Polymer, and steel bracing to safeguard the structure while retaining its heritage presence. The project has also involved painstaking restoration work: reinstating interior windows, joinery, chattels, and refurbishing sixty-five heritage light brackets fitted with new lighting. Storage and conservation of fragile heritage items off-site ensured they could be reinstated safely, guided by a dedicated Conservation Plan developed by a heritage architect.
Innovation has been critical. The challenge of manoeuvring a piling rig and large steel elements through confined spaces was solved through clever sequencing – and temporary works to enable the development were carefully planned through ECI workshops, enabling a fixed price for temporary works to be agreed at contract execution. Sustainability has been a consistent thread too, with stormwater detention systems installed and over 3,000 tonnes of demolished concrete recycled, supporting the target of a 5 Green Star rating.
After six years of careful work, the finish line is finally in sight. Practical completion is set for August 2025, with the doors opening to the public in early 2026. When they do, Te Matapihi will stand as a strengthened and restored library, ready to serve Wellington for generations to come.
