Paraparaumu College's new cultural centre, Te Whare Ahurea. Photo / Rosalie Willis
Paraparaumu College's new cultural centre, Te Whare Ahurea. Photo / Rosalie Willis
A dawn ceremony blessing Paraparaumu College's newest building has taken place, officially welcoming the school community and iwi together into Te Whare Ahurea.
After a year of construction and more than 10 years of planning, the school's new cultural centre has been blessed, with an official opening to follow in a few weeks after final consents are granted.
"It was really significant having the dawn ceremony on Tuesday morning," Paraparaumu College principal Craig Steed said.
"It will be a real home for our rangatahi, our te reo teaching space and the main large open space will be a home for our Māori performing arts students and kapa haka group."
Kaumātua Don Te Maipi at the dawn blessing ceremony for Paraparaumu College's new cultural centre.
The name was chosen in collaboration with the college's marae, Te Atiawa Whakarongotai.
A number of names were suggested with the one chosen put forward by staff and students and confirmed by iwi.
Past and present people involved with the cultural centre Jayne Edwards-Wilson, Paul Reeves, Gregor Fountain, Helen Benson, Leah Gifford, Viv Bould, Tracey Morgan, Rawhiti Higgott and Craig Steed.
"One of the big features of the centre's design is the pou designed by Tracey Morgan, connecting in with the college's tukutuku pattern designed by Jack Brooking.
"Tracey got input into the design from students and has included representation of the four houses, Whakarongotai and our tukutuku pattern."
At the dawn ceremony, past and present staff and students attended with kaumātua Don Te Maipi leading the blessing.
"We've had amazing input from whānau, iwi, previous boards and the previous principal Gregor Fountain.
"It was nice for them to come, sit down and have a korero about it.
"It's been a project that's been in the making for over 10 years and it was great to have people at the opening ceremony that were involved in the origins of the idea and who were involved with the vision for it."
Inside Te Whare Ahurea.
With the cultural centre finished, the school's gymnasium changing rooms rebuild is now the current focus.
"While it doesn't look like much of a job, it was quite a big project re-roofing them, and now we're onto the second stage, doing the internal, modernisation of the space."
A new technology space, the equivalent of 10 classrooms is also on the cards, with the school in the final stages of creating a master plan for the next 30 years.
"It's quite a brave plan to keep up with the growth of the school.
"The school is growing so we have to plan to have 1800 students in 10 years' time and 2500 students by 2050."
Pou design
The pou was designed by Tracey Morgan. Photo / Rosalie Willis
At the bottom of the design, the triangle form represents a wharenui connecting the college with Whakarongotai marae. It sits at the base as tangata whenua, supporting the students from their first day at the college.
The central space between the kowhaiwhai ascends from Papatuanuku to Ranginui, representing the journey that each student takes from junior to senior.
The four college houses surround the central tukutuku pattern with the central placement representing the stone, or whatukura, which holds the power of knowledge and adds mana to the teaching of knowledge.
At the top, the moving kowhaiwhai pattern represents the creative and cultural spirit that will occur in the building through the arts and show a playful sense of movement through cultural dance, music, performance and oratory expression.
Kowhaiwhai are always mirrored to create a sense of place – balance and harmony in both the physical and spiritual realms, making the students feel at home.
