Waitohi Whare Mātauranga Picton Library

Waitohi Whare Mātauranga, the Picton Library and Service Centre, draws on the town's nautical history  and offers the community a central civic facility, combining the library, service centre, community spaces and a pocketpark. 

The two level, crafted timber ‘vessel’ form, is clad in textured cedar, that wraps around the corner, and forms the main library ‘living room’. Punctured by windows to the High Street side, a large format bay window on the corner frames a vista towards the MarlboroughSounds. 

A ‘roof and wing’ form envelopes the main library roof and provides a solar/sun screen from the late afternoon sun along the western elevation. This solar screen wing, with a design that combines a paddle/feather form, draws from both maritime heritage, and Te Atiawa’s reverence for the Toroa(albatross).

The structural frame of this part of the building is made from glue laminated Pinus Radiata. Exposed beams and raking columns reference the interior ribs of a ship’shull.

A new exterior courtyard and public space, fronts Dublin street on the sunny north western side, and a new pocket park was created with over 2000 native treeplantings.

Since opening, the library has seen a  61% increase in visitor numbers and an 11% increase in libraryloans.