Te Puna Mahara, Cromwell Memorial Events Centre, opens
A new cultural heart for Cromwell has opened, and last weekend the community came together to mark the milestone with celebration, creative expression, and remembrance.
Jasmax collaborated with Cromwell-based architecture studio SA Studio and mana whenua owned organisation Aukaha to co-design the flexible, multi-functional 3,000-square metre asset for future generations, and visitors to the region, to enjoy.
Overlooking Lake Dunstan, Te Puna Mahara, Cromwell Memorial Events Centre, is comprised of three inter-connected pavilions. The space features a 400-seat auditorium and foyer, 40-seat cinema, museum, retail store, commercial kitchen, café, and a movement studio.
The centre’s name, Te Puna Mahara, translates as ‘a repository of memories’ and was given by mana whenua, whose narratives recall the surrounding lakes and mountain ranges were formed by Rākaihautū, an ancestor of the Waitaha people, the first people to occupy Te Waipounamu. With his kō (Polynesian digging stick), he carved out the region’s great lakes. A symbolic kō, crafted from steel, is positioned at the main entry to the centre and was designed by Kāi Tahu artists Fayne Robinson and Andre Te Hira.
The new centre replaces the former Cromwell Memorial Hall, built in 1960 to honour the service and sacrifice of war veterans. The contribution of the RSA (Returned and Service’s Association) to Cromwell is central to the new centre’s continuing purpose, with a new War Memorial Garden, relocated Cenotaph and Wall of Remembrance.
The procession of the War Memorial Garden features etched concrete artworks, also designed by Fayne Robinson, and encompasses concepts of tapu (sacred) and maumaharataka (remembrance). A wai touchstone serves as a place to whakanoa, or cleanse, after being in a place of tapu. The name of the touchstone, Te Puna Roimata, can be interpreted as a “pool of tears”.
Jasmax architect and project principal Chris Jack said the design responds directly to what the Cromwell community asked for.
“This building works really hard for a community that is ready for a new public space, one that looks forward without losing sight of what came before it.
“What makes this centre work so well is how deeply it’s grounded in place and memory. The narratives of mana whenua, the story of Rākaihautū and his kō, and the legacy of the Cromwell Memorial Hall and the veterans it honoured, all come together respectfully under one roof.”
Central Otago District Council and residents played a vital role in ensuring the centre meets the evolving needs of the community, with three days of consultation held to test the scope and functionality of the design. The principles of connectivity, flexibility and adaptability emerged, and these are now embedded in the multi-purpose nature of the new centre, while also reflecting the identity, history, values, and narratives of mana whenua.
Since opening, the centre has quickly filled its calendar with live music performances, comedy nights, film screenings, and guided tours, and the movement studio is fully booked for the coming year.
Jasmax provided architecture, interior design, urban design, landscape architecture services with local architect Jessie Sutherland of SA Studio.
