TwentyTwo’s David Lambie and Duncan Mitchell helped celebrate the official opening of Tauranga City Library at He Puna Manawa, its temporary site, on Devonport Road in early April.
TwentyTwo played a lead role in negotiating the lease and landlord’s improvements scope – as well as providing technology support – and is all part of our long-standing advisory relationship with Tauranga City Council.
David and Duncan joined mana whenua, Tauranga City Council Commissioners including Chair Anne Tolley, project staff and other guests in an early morning blessing of the space led by local kaumātua Tamati Tata of Ngāi Tamarāwaho.
The Council worked closely with mana whenua and architects Warren and Mahoney to ensure the design and layout of He Puna Manawa acknowledges the rich history of the area.
The name ‘He Puna Manawa’ literally means ‘heart of the spring’ and was gifted to the Council by mana whenua, Ngāi Tamarāwaho and Ngāti Tapu as it was felt that it captured the spirit of the vibrant and exciting hub as a place for the community to engage and connect – and is also a nod to the area’s history.
“It’s an incredible space given its temporary nature” says David. “It tells a story from a cultural perspective of the significance of the site to the mana whenua. It also comprises all the services and facilities you’d expect of a library today. It’s a fantastic step as we work with Council to reactivate the central city”.
Te Puna Manawa features artworks that talk about Tauranga’s history created by local Māori artists. This will carry over into the planning of the new library which will move back to its new home in Willow Street once construction of the new civic precinct is complete.
