The new Hawke’s Bay Museum research and archive centre in Hastings has been passed from the construction team to the operations team in what is a major milestone for the project after years of collaboration and effort.
Napier and Hastings Mayors and councillors gathered with Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust members, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Hori kaumatua and construction partners GEMCO and RTA to mark the occasion, which will be followed in coming months by the relocation of the
artefacts to the purpose-built building designed to protect and preserve the region’s treasures for generations to come.
Both functional and symbolic, the purpose of the facility is both for access and preservation: on the west side, a light-filled two-storey space for offices, education and research by appointment; on the east side, a climate- and light-controlled storage building designed to care for the collection.
Hastings Mayor, Sandra Hazlehurst said the project reflected years of collaboration and shared ambition.
“This is more than just a building – it’s an intergenerational investment in preserving our region’s history, culture and stories,” she said.
“There has been a lot of care, attention and planning put into creating a place that is both functional and reflects the significance of the valuable collection it will contain.”
Napier Mayor, Kirsten Wise said the new building represented the strong relationship between the two councils, mana whenua, funders, kaitiaki and the community.
“We have worked together on this building, and beyond that on ensuring the Hawke’s Bay collection is well cared for and preserved,” said Mayor Wise.
“The stewardship of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, the philanthropy of our community and the huge support from central government has meant we can deliver a building that is fit for purpose, future proofed, efficient and also very beautiful to look at and work inside.”
Wrapped in a cloak of 80 six-metre-tall laser-cut glazed aluminium panels, the building is already an iconic landmark. The feathered façade symbolises the care of taonga and acknowledges donor support. Master carver Tūhoe Huata’s exterior elements reinforce cultural integrity and pride, telling the stories of people and place. Together, the design reflects the centre’s role as a kaitiaki – sheltering the region’s taonga with care, whakapapa and mana.
Inside, a specialist shelving system set on rails enables safe, efficient storage and makes the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust collection simpler to access. Valued at about $43 million, the collection comprises more than 90,000 items – some more than 500 years old – and is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant regional collections, and the largest outside the four main metropolitan centres.
“The collection is shared and cared for across two sites. The Hawke’s Bay Museum in Napier is the public face of the collection, the sharing centre where exhibitions bring our stories to life,” said Museum director, Laura Vodonavich.
“The new research and archive centre in Hastings is the caring centre – a behind-the-scenes hub where the collection is preserved, studied, and cared for. Together, they ensure the region’s treasures are both accessible and looked after.”
Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust chairman, Richard Grant said that as guardians of the collection on behalf of the people of Hawke’s Bay, the trustees had long advocated for the establishment of suitable, contemporary, museum-standard storage.
“We are thrilled with this new building and excited that the collection will soon be safely settled into its new home.”
The collection includes more than 6,000 taonga Māori of deep cultural significance, such as textiles, kākahu, kete, and a rare kahu kurī. Only a fraction of these are ever on display at Hawke’s Bay Museum in Napier. The new centre provides secure, long-term storage and improved accessibility for the rest, previously kept across multiple less-ideal facilities.
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chair Bayden Barber said: “In this location the collection will be more accessible for iwi, hapu, whānau and community to connect with their precious taonga.”
The project has been made possible through more than $21 million in funding, contributed by central government, local government and the community. This includes:
- $9 million from Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage’s Regional Culture & Heritage Fund;
- $5,479 million from the New Zealand Lotteries Commission;
- $7.7 million from local government (Hastings District Council $4,565 million, Napier City Council $3,135 million);
- $750,000 raised by the Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust through local donations and grants, including for the feathered façade.
Once the certificate of compliance is granted for the building, a six-month relocation process will begin, transferring the collection into its new home.
Public access to the collection will be available by appointment, with an open day, and public tours scheduled regularly once the centre opens. Some items may have access restrictions for cultural or health reasons. In addition, more than 31,000 items (35% of the collection) are already accessible online, with new items added regularly.
