Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui
Te Matapihi | Central Library

On 22 August 2025, construction and strengthening work for Te Matapihi was completed on time and on budget.

After 4 years with our construction partners LT McGuinness, the building has been formally handed back to Wellington City Council to start work on the internal fit-out, getting the library ready to welcome Wellingtonians in March 2026.

Read the full story on Our Wellington.

Te Kano Kohinga Kupu o Pōneke Wellington City Archives looks after over 800,000 physical items, and it’s no easy feat moving a collection of this size. Read the full story in Our Wellington.

With Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui set to open in March 2026, Wellington City Libraries are marking the occasion with a design a library card competition. Read the full story in Our Wellington.

Later this year, hundreds of thousands of items will be brought back into Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, officially marking the return of the books to Wellington's Central Library. Read the full story in Our Wellington.

Learn how Athfield Architects and Tihei Limited are bringing the elements of te taiao (the natural environment) to life to create an inclusive and accessible community space for all. Read the full story in Our Wellington.

Library services in Wellington go back over 150 years, but the site and space where Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui – our central library – now stands has a much longer story that precedes the arrival of settlers to our city. Read the full story in Our Wellington.

Te Matapihi was released onto its base isolators in December 2024. Read the full story in Our Wellington.

The crane was removed in September 2024. Read the full story in Our Wellington: Victoria Street closing for crane removal at Te Matapihi.

Construction has one year to go. Read the full story in Our Wellington: Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui construction: One year to go. 

We're about a third of the way through the strengthening and modernising of Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, our Central Library, with the project tracking on time and within budget.

Discover interesting facts about this iconic building in Our Wellington: Fun facts about Te Matapihi Central Library.

As part of the restoration, the Nīkau Palms will be removed and restore.

Read the full story in Our Wellington: Iconic Te Matapihi Central Library Nikau Palms get a refresh

A time capsule has been dug up and removed from the Te Matapihi Central Library site for safe keeping until it can be returned – unopened – to the same spot for the next 70 years.

Read the full story in Our Wellington: Capsule uncovered ahead of time

September marks a significant milestone in the construction progress at Te Matapihi.

Read the full story in Our Wellington: Te Matapihi - Rock solid evidence of progress at Te Matapihi Central Library.

L.T. McGuinness are preparing to install a tower crane onto the Te Matapihi Library site on Victoria Street from 12 June 2023, weather permitting. The crane will be there until March 2025.

The team will begin with the setup of a mobile crane on Victoria Street and will require a weather window of four consecutive days of low wind levels to be able to build the tower crane safely. If weather is not favourable, they will have to postpone the operation until the next available weather window.

Impact on Victoria Street

Victoria Street will be closed to all through traffic from Harris Street to the Mercer Street intersection during the 4-day window. All vehicle access that is required to the carparking building on the western side of Victoria Street between Harris Street and Mercer Street will be escorted by traffic controllers.

Please expect traffic disruption along Victoria Street and surrounding roads due to lane closures during this time. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

Pedestrian access will remain available along the western side of Victoria Street, however, please be aware of the isolated work zone that will be occurring on Victoria Street.

Installation schedule

The crane installation operation involves:

• Day 1: Traffic management setup and road closure of Victoria Street, from Harris Street to Mercer Street. Setup of mobile crane which will build the tower crane. Truck deliveries.
• Day 2: Building tower crane and truck deliveries.
• Day 3: Building tower crane and truck deliveries.
• Day 4: Demobilisation of mobile crane and removal of road closure.

Hours of operation

Work on site will generally be between 7.30am and 6pm, Monday to Saturday. However, there may be some works outside of these times, dependant of progress.

Purpose of the crane

The crane will provide the ability to lift materials from the loading zone on Harris Street and Victoria Street into the building. It will play an important part in the construction of the new facades and the Civic Room.

Te Matapihi getting ready for reconstruction

LT McGuinness is on-site at Te Matapihi - Central Library and in full swing with enabling and strengthening works making the building ready for reconstruction.

Read the full story in Our Wellington: Te Matapihi - Central Library getting ready for reconstruction

Te Matapihi funding approved for design

On 15 December 2022, the Council resolved to increase the Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui budget by $12 million for design, delivering integrated Central Library, City Archives, Customer Service Centre and Experience Wellington’s Capital E services, and celebrating Pōneke’s unique cultural identity.

This will meet new legislative requirements and address the implementation of Council committee resolutions from 2021.

In 2020, Council decided on the required seismic strengthening of the original Te Matapihi building and reconstruction. The initial budget approved for this work was $178.7 million. In April 2021, the Council approved a further $8.5 million to extend levels 3 and 4 and $1.9 million to progress sustainability initiatives to achieve a 5 Green Star design rating. These three amounts are the baseline budget for construction works.

In April 2021, the Council established new guiding design principles directing the future of the Te Matapihi project. This design defined a future visitor experience of Pōneke’s unique cultural identity and integrated services, including City Archives, Customer Service Centre and Experience Wellington’s Capital E.

The additional funding provision of $12 million for the Te Matapihi project addresses these required elements and legislative requirements supporting new and exciting public services at the heart of our inner-city centre for everyone to enjoy.

The extra funding includes:

• $6.5 million for cultural identity, including 13 cultural and art elements and entranceway design.
• $500, 000 for a legislation change MBIE has introduced that Council must adhere to and the costs associated.
• $5 million for integrated services and spaces, providing an enhanced visitor experience all in one place.