This thesis is driven by ideas of memory and place.
Te Whare-Wanaka is an architectural proposition designed around the rituals of storytelling and explores how architecture can help a place's memory speak.
Places bear traces of their past – things embedded in the landscape that can speak to people of a place’s memory. Some traces are more muted than others, but through architecture we may begin to help them speak and be heard. So, how can architecture help a place’s memory speak?
This question is explored in the context of Manuhaea: a sacred place located between lakes Hāwea and Wānaka in the Southern Interior – the region I call home. This research uncovers a story of Manuhaea – a spoken memory developed through oral tradition and passed on through the minds of generations before being entrusted to me. Not only does this story provide insight into Manuhaea’s past, it frames the spoken word as an intangible trace of a place’s memory just as potent, if not more so, than tangible traces.
Crafted around the rituals of kōrero (storytelling), ‘Te Whare Wānaka’ provides ground for the traces of Manuhaea’s memory to be encountered. It is a place of opportunity for people united by their connection to Manuhaea, to share their story and spend time together in the lands of their narratives. Ultimately, ‘Te Whare Wānaka’ is dedicated to helping Manuhaea’s memory be spoken and heard.
