Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga Hāwera will be an enduring project that embraces sustainability, engages with the community and Tangata Whenua; and invigorates the centre of Hāwera.

Warren and Mahoney has been commissioned by South Taranaki District Council to design a new community facility to co-locate the existing town Library, Art Gallery and Tourist Information Centre. Located on the corner of High and Regent streets, the new 1605sqm building will house a bigger library, meeting rooms, public toilets, an art gallery and heritage exhibition space, an i-Site visitor centre and café.

The large open library space will provide flexibility for other public events with the ability to extend the buildings use after hours providing life and activity to the center of Hāwera in the evenings. Working closely with landscape designers Boffa Miskell, the new building along with a new town square will provide a community heart for Hāwera and the wider South Taranaki District.

The name Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga means the beacon or signal fire of Ruapūtahanga, a famous Taranaki Māori ancestress. Ruapūtahanga would light the beacon as a signal for iwi to meet so they could talk, share ideas and knowledge.

The centre is a key anchor project in the Hāwera town centre redevelopment and will also boost the district's post Covid-19 recovery.

"It will bring more foot traffic, visitors and vibrancy to the CBD, provide enhanced community services, and create jobs and economic stimulus at this crucial time", says South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon. "Te Ramanui won't just be a community and visitor hub, it will be a catalyst for driving change and increasing investment which we believe will transform the town centre," Nixon said.

The project team provided assistance with final site selection, undertook initial stakeholder workshops and developed an agreed project brief. This high level strategic briefing included users, the public and local Iwi representatives.