Integrating Māori cultural principles with contemporary museum design
The conceptual framework, centred on Papatūānuku (Earth Mother), Tangata Whenua (people of the land), and Tangata Tiriti (people of the Treaty), reflects New Zealand’s unique cultural identity. The interior layout bridges two worldviews, expressing bicultural relationships through land settlement patterns: Tangata Whenua areas face north and open towards the harbour, while the Tangata Tiriti areas align with the gridded street pattern of early European settlers.
Te Papa also houses Te Marae o Te Papa Tongarewa: Rongomaraeroa – a contemporary marae (traditional meeting house) created for the museum’s context. Like all marae, it is founded on Māori principles of kawa (protocols) and tikanga (rules), and acknowledges the whakapapa (genealogy) and taonga (treasure) of all peoples who call New Zealand home.
