Modesty and verve

Mark Southcombe visits the Toi Mahara gallery redevelopment in Waikanae by Athfield Architects and explores a beautiful dialogue between old and new.

Photography ANDY SPAIN

THE KĀPITI COAST DISTRICT SPANS Paekākāriki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae and Ōtaki with an architectural history that runs deep. Mahara means memory or thinking deeply. The name has long connections to Te Ati Awa, Taranaki and a house at Parihaka supported by Wiremu Te Kākākura Parata in the 1880s;1 it was also the name of Hemi Matenga and Hira Parata’s Waikanae Guest House during the early 20th century, described as “the pride and joy of Waikanae”.2 The name Mahara Place continues as a laneway and open mall courtyard of the Waikanae suburban town centre, a landscaped space redeveloped by Boffa Miskell and team in 2019. Mahara Place also threads through to Whakarongotai Marae at the south and the new Toi Mahara art gallery at the northern corner of the mall courtyard. Since 1996,…

You're reading a preview of

Architecture NZ (Digital) - 1 Issue, July-August 2024

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.