New Zealand School of Music - Te Koki.

school music school Wellington Music school Auditorum atrium design song bird musician campus

.OLIVIA FONG.
Bachelor of Architecture
Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand

New Zealand School of Music.
Architectural Design Paper_Third Year

For the last design brief of our bachelor degree, it demanded a new campus for Te Koki - the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) to be located on Ghuznee St, Wellington. The Maori name 'Te Koki' translates to 'Dawn Chorus' referring to the first chorus of the day by native New Zealand song birds. Traditionally, Maori musicians would listen to the rythmic melodies of the birds amongst NZ's rich forests, learning and gathering musical inspiration.

The significance of this name was the driving factor behind the conception of my project. It is unique to the people of Aotearoa and embodies design opportunities to represent just that. This will be a school that proudly epitomizes NZ's identity.

Above: Site plan and drawings.

As the rear of the building is facing majority north, light would enter throughout the day mainly from this side. And because this was to be such a large building, I wanted to use light as the connecting component throughout the central atrium.

Above: Leeds Street facade.

Above: A glass roof allows for a well lit atrium that provides ample light to the left and right wings of the building, bringing the school together with its three main volumes. Exposed timber columns can be seen, an echo of NZ's notable forestry.

Above: Floor plans.

There are two auditoriums (ground and second floor), with a library, cafe, offices and learning spaces along the left and right wings of the school. But it is the spatial features in the atrium that really tie the school together. The arrangement of the timber columns open out towards the auditoriums.