Post by Kāpiti Coast District Council

A first look inside Te Ara Whetū did not disappoint! Our Kāpiti Coast District Libraries team recently got the chance to step inside the construction site of Te Ara Whetū, the new library hub for Waikanae, and see the future shape of library and council services take form. Standing on site in hard hats, hi vis vests and safety glasses, the team got a sneak peek of a library hub split over three levels, offering new opportunities for the public and a thoughtfully streamlined way of working for staff. Touring through the work site, wooden framing and metal supports were reimagined into study areas, a board room, spaces for relaxing on comfy chairs and couches, large areas to house book collections, a craft room for creatives to let loose, bookable event spaces and more. One thing that didn't need imagining was the view, already spectacular from the site, stretching from the mountains to the sea with Kapiti Island front and centre. Manager, Kāpiti Coast District Libraries, Siren Deluxe says it was a real privilege to take the library team through the Te Ara Whetū construction site, with most visiting for the first time. "You get a real sense of the drama of the architecture, especially standing at ground floor level in the atrium, looking upwards at the new staircase and beyond to where the glass ceiling will be." Siren says working at Te Ara Whetū will be a different experience to any of our current libraries, and an exciting opportunity for those who'll work there. For those wondering, the name Te Ara Whetū was gifted by Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai and means the passage of stars. It's a reference to Te Ara Whetū ki Uta, ki Tai, the passage of the stars from the mountains to the sea. In this case, 'from the mountains to the sea' refers to the view from Kapakapanui in the Tararua Ranges to where the Waikanae Awa meets the Tasman Sea. Keep your calendars clear, Te Ara Whetū is expected to open to the public in early 2027 📖 https://lnkd.in/eQHhhbMS