By Kate Penny, Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor, Napier City Council
There is a hole in Napier’s inner city, caused by the closure and later demolition of the city’s library and civic complex in 2017 due to earthquake risk. What began as an urgent response has evolved into one of the most significant urban renewal projects in Napier’s recent history.
Napier City Council recently began construction on a precinct to house the city’s public library, community organisations, councillors and staff, as well as a new public outdoor space. The project is a showcase of innovation in procurement, authentic community partnerships and what a library should look like in the 21st century.
The project is also providing an essential boost to Hawke’s Bay’s economy at a pivotal time for the city and its construction industry.
The Civic Precinct, ‘Te Kete’, will comprise a new library building that will be a vital community gathering place. This facility will go well beyond the traditional idea of a book repository, embracing the modern library’s role as a hub for innovation, creativity and community. As well as the usual space for books, technology and community meetings rooms, the building will include a high-ceiling multifunctional space that can be used for anything from carving a large tree trunk to acrobatics classes.
Alongside the library building, Te Kete features adaptive reuse of the structurally sound framework of Council’s former office tower. Council’s customer service centre, a public cafe, and space leased to community organisations will make up the ground floor of the refurbished five-storey building. The remaining floors will house around 300 Council staff, with any surplus space to be commercially leased.
The decision to retain and refurbish the existing tower structure, as opposed to demolition and rebuild, will save $10 million over the building’s lifetime.
Next to the refurbished office tower will be a new community meeting space that will double as the council chamber for the city’s elected representatives. It will be a flexible, dynamic space suitable for a wide range of events. Large picture windows will make the city’s democratic processes visually open and accessible, with capacity for privacy when needed.
Outside, the buildings will be complemented by versatile spaces where the community can gather. The area will provide for cafe dining, waiting spaces for buses, e-bike charging stations and public seating within a carefully landscaped space.
Napier City Council’s Strategic Programmes Manager, Darran Gillies, explains the project’s overall vision: ‘Napier’s central city has been missing its heart for a long time. The temporary space that’s been our city library for eight years is not fit for purpose, in either design or location. Council’s office-based staff are scattered throughout the CBD. Money is being spent on commercial leases for buildings of varying standards.
‘We have a clear vision to solve all of that, and at the same time create a vibrant civic hub that reflects Napier’s cultural values and community aspirations. The community has supported this vision through four rounds of consultation. The people of Napier want a modern library, they want to own rather than rent our buildings, and our city centre needs a thriving, beating heart rather than a vacant demolition site.’
Central to that vision was an authentic partnership approach. The project is unique for Napier City Council in that partnership with mana whenua began from the master planning stage.
Jon Rennie, Principal Architect at Athfield Architects, worked with local Mana Whenua Design Lead Israel Birch to develop the design based on cultural narratives established very early in the design process.
‘The design team took part in wānanga at a few of the local marae,’ says Rennie. ‘These sessions taught us the local histories, values and aspirations, and identified cultural narratives for the project. Partnership from the beginning ensured that the cultural narratives were the foundation of the design, rather than added as surface elements later.
‘The resulting stories about the people of this land, and the history and significance of the site, are expressed through the architecture – its materials, spatial layout, and visual motifs. We’ve designed the library building as a metaphoric waka huia: a vessel that holds and protects the community’s collective knowledge, identity and aspirations.’
The design elements also recognise the more recent social and geographic history of the region.
‘The site was underwater before the 1931 earthquake. The overall precinct design acknowledges this and the city’s resulting Art Deco heritage. Terracing across the site acknowledges the uplift of the quake, and also references Hawke’s Bay’s agricultural and viticultural landscapes,’ says Rennie.
Other design innovations ensure this contemporary library will attract the ‘unusual suspects’: those for whom traditional libraries might feel foreign or uncomfortable.
‘Designing a library that appeals to the many diverse groups in our community has been top of mind from the early days of our design ideation. The library has “no wrong door”, meaning all sides of the building have a welcoming and easy-to-navigate entry point,’ says Rennie.
Napier City Council’s commitment to this civic infrastructure project is at the right point in New Zealand’s construction cycle. The start of construction is already playing a critical role in stimulating local economic activity, including for small trades businesses.
‘As part our procurement process, we developed a broader outcomes strategy that outlined our must-have aspirations to support the local economy. The market responded, with the winning tender committing to 87 per cent use of local sub trades,’ says Gillies.
‘Throughout this two-year construction phase and once complete, these facilities will stimulate economic activity in our city.
‘We’re taking a long-term view with this project. The spaces we’re creating are flexible, giving our community a wide range of opportunities to use them. We’ll lease any surplus space in the office building, which will bring in additional income to offset rates.
‘At the end of this project, the people of Napier will be left with a valuable, appreciating long-term community asset that will benefit current and future generations.’
The construction contract was awarded to two local companies that formed a partnership to bid for this project – MCL Construction and Stead Construction – with the partnership known as MCLStead.
They were chosen after an extensive procurement process, including rigorous due diligence that looked at broader outcomes such as local partnership and employment, as well as price attributes.
‘MCLStead was the most competitive and had the best values fit for the project,’ says Gillies. ‘There’s more to this project than just constructing buildings. It is also about securing meaningful work for local tradespeople, suppliers and businesses across the region.’
With that in mind, Council’s standard procurement requirements were adjusted to enable smaller subcontractors to participate, representing a new approach to procurement for Napier City Council.
Stead Construction Director Jeremy Stead says the two companies shared a dream of a joint venture that would keep large construction jobs local.
‘This project was the perfect first opportunity to realise that aspiration. We’re targeting close to 90 per cent local subcontractors, with up to five local apprenticeships being created. We’re also targeting up to 20 per cent Māori and Pasifika businesses to be subcontracted to the job.
‘I’m excited to be a part of a project that will benefit our economy in the short term and result in a valuable community asset for the long term,’ says Stead.
Gillies agrees: ‘We expect the project will create a ripple effect, encouraging further investment in our city. Our local construction industry will benefit, with projects feeding into one another and contributing to Napier’s long‑term prosperity.
‘Our business case analysis has shown that every dollar spent locally on this project will add nearly three and a half dollars to Hawke’s Bay’s economy.
‘One way we’re contributing to this economic output is by including as many locally sourced products as we can for the buildings’ fitouts. For example, we will use local wool products as soundproofing, insulation, carpeting and even for weed-matting outdoors,’ says Gillies.
Feeding into the positive economics is using sustainability features to drive cost reduction over the long term.
‘We’re targeting a 5 Star Green Star building, because it makes sense environmentally and also financially. Many features will reduce the precinct’s ongoing operating costs, increasing long-term value for ratepayers,’ says Gillies.
Design decisions include shared plant between buildings, natural lighting, ventilation, and long-term energy efficiency. Other sustainability measures include using New Zealand mass timber to construct the new library, reusing native timber and flooring from dismantled buildings, and adaptive reuse of the office tower, as opposed to demolition and rebuild. Refurbishing the tower means it is on track to achieve a 57 per cent up‑front carbon reduction compared to an equivalent new building.
The project is targeting 70 per cent of construction and demolition waste by weight being diverted from landfill.
The public spaces will have e-bike parks, bike and scooter stands, and close connectivity to Napier’s main bus stops. Outdoor areas will feature native plantings and low‑impact stormwater systems.
MCL Construction’s Director Phil Mitchell says a project of this scale is not without its challenges.
‘We’re managing major construction in a central urban area. There are obvious constraints we need to be mindful of, such as dust and noise levels affecting the site’s neighbouring businesses, and city workers and shoppers.
‘We’re going out of our way to communicate effectively with the site neighbours and, so far, have been really pleased with their support for the project. Local businesses can see future benefits from a thriving city hub as opposed to an empty site,’ says Mitchell.
The project is on time and on budget. The total project cost is $110 million. This includes all professional and consenting fees, along with a contingency budget.
‘Fixed-price contracting has given our council and the community certainty,’ says Gillies. ‘We are also benefiting from our budget being set back when lending rates were at their peak. Rates have dropped since then, giving us some breathing space in our loan repayment costs.’
Te Kete is on track to be completed in mid 2027.
‘I’m excited that we are now seeing our community’s vision rise up from the ground,’ says Gillies.
It can’t come soon enough for Napier’s residents, who have been anticipating a proper city library and civic space for the past eight years.