Heke Rua Archives (HRA)

Construction has started on this new resilient purpose-built Archives facility in Wellington which will house and protect our memory of government and taonga to best practice standards and provide specialist facilities for conservation and digitisation at scale. The new building will be connected with the National Library by a link bridge for easy transfers between buildings and better collaboration across the campus. Find out about construction of the new Archives building.

Official Te Tai Awatea event to celebrate the start of construction

Before construction could begin this project went through five design phases.

Find out more about the five design phases (PDF, 587KB)

Taranaki Whānui Te Atiawa representatives and design agency, Tihei have worked alongside Warren & Mahoney to co-design this building with a te ao Māori world view, connecting the building to the whenua it sits on and acknowledging the people that lived here before. Learn more about the building’s design.

• As construction progresses on site, activity will increase. The onsite work force is expected to fluctuate from dozens to 500 over the next three years depending on each phase of the build. The building is very complex and as a result has a long construction programme.

• Design completed – late-2021

• Construction on site – February 2022 to mid 2025 The initial focus is to put the foundations in place. The 55-metre high tower crane was installed in July. Activity and the onsite work force will increase as construction progresses on site, fluctuating from dozens to 500 over the next three years depending on each phase of construction. The building is very complex and as a result has a long construction programme.

• Construction completed – mid 2025 to 2026

• Relocation of holdings from the current Archives NZ building in Mulgrave St – 2025 to 2026

• Facility operational and staff move into the new Archives building – late 2026

Project team

• Denise Williams, Project Executive

• Sarah Apperley, Senior Project Manager

• MaryAnne Liddington, Senior Business Analyst

• Kirsten Poulsen, Change Manager

External consultants:

• Tihei Design Ltd

• LT McGuinness Ltd, Construction Contractor

• RCP, External Project Managers

• Aurecon, Structural and Façade Engineers

• Norman Disney & Young, Services Engineers

• Rider Levett Bucknall, Quantity Surveyor

• Boffa Miskell, Landscape Designer