Te Matapihi Wellington Central Library

Unsurprisingly, acoustics were a key consideration for the building’s interior spaces. With high ceilings and hard, reflective surfaces making up much of the material palette, these old buildings are perfect echo chambers. As the main library area is largely open-plan, it needed to allow for quiet study, performance, and play—sometimes simultaneously. Community meeting rooms, reading rooms, digital media spaces, and specialist recording studios also needed to be treated to ensure they would be functional, especially given their proximity to the main library space.

As a historically significant community and cultural hub, Te Ao Māori was an integral part of the design direction. Collaborating with Tihei (led by artist and carver Rangi Kipa), Athfield Architects were guided by the concept of Te Taiao, which represents the innate and intergenerational connection between people and the natural world.

“Te Taiao informed many of the custom acoustic designs in Te Matapihi. Acoustic wall panels in the public meeting and reading spaces host upscaled versions of native flora and fauna to re-educate and highlight the importance of respecting the natural world, particularly the often uncelebrated smaller plants, birds, and insects,” Jamie explains.

Noise reduction is critical in a library setting, making Quietspace® Panel an integral part of the project. In the children’s events space, a lowered ceiling creates a cave-like scene, with re-used heritage ceiling panels clustered against folded acoustic ‘lichen’ fixed to Autex Acoustics® Horizon™ system. For Ngā Pou Ruahine, the library’s seminar, social, and collaborative function space, 12mm Cube™ was printed with four Rawa by Darcy Nicholas (Te Āti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, NgātIu Hauā)—the prints’ vibrant colours a captivating continuation of Te Matapihi architectural narrative.