Heke Rua National Archives Wellington

Heke Rua Archives New Zealand is a 9-level heritage campus situated in Wellington - the building protects 1000s of artifacts (Taonga) and historical documents and is designed to honour the land, its descendants, and the Māori language. The façade design required close collaboration between cultural consultants Tehei Ltd - led by Rangi Kipa, Warren and Mahoney Architects and façade engineers to embed patterned Māori motifs in the facade without compromising thermal or structural performance.

The facade is a high performance thermally broken curtainwall system - Thermosash PW1000 TB200 structurally flush glazed with 200mm mullions. 

Cultural Motifs

The facade features embossed patterns inspired by the biodiversity of local flora and fauna, referencing the Pipitea Marae and te reo Māori. A striking cultural element—the Māori moko (facial tattoo)—is abstracted into vertical lines above the entrance, serving as a symbolic wayfinder and anchoring the building in its cultural context. This design honours tangata whenua and the whenua, while positioning the building as a civic and cultural landmark.

Exceptional High Performance - Thermal / Airtightness / Seismic / Weathertightness

Thermal modelling was conducted using the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory software which resulted in Thermosash developing a new innovative method of fixing the rainscreen via a transom and hook-on system designed to eliminate thermal bridging from the rainscreen to the framing. The new design significantly increased thermal performance resulting in a much-reduced dewpoint and condensation risk, energy savings and building service efficiency. 

The system also performed exceptionally well in airtightness, weather and seismic resilience during testing in an IANZ accredited laboratory by Window Engineering Consultants, and during in-situ as-built testing.

The Result

Thermosash engineered, manufactured and installed a highly insulated, thermally isolated near zero air-leakage unitised façade system, representing one of the highest performing facade solutions in NZ to comply with Conservation of Cultural Heritage code BS/EN 16893 (requiring a u-value average < 0.4 w/m2.k and factor of 10 better than NZS 4284 airtightness after a DLS +/-35mm seismic interstorey building movement). Whilst also delivering on architectural aesthetic intent and culturally significant motifs.

National Treasure

Through its thoughtful integration of cultural narrative and urban presence, the building is poised to become an iconic national asset—preserving and protecting the history and identity of Aotearoa New Zealand for future generations. 

Facade solutions by Thermosash:

• PW1000-TB200 Structurally Glazed Thermally Broken Curtainwall System
• PW1000-TB200 Thermally Broken Opaque Curtainwall system with Hooked on Rainscreen
  Panels
• Aluminium Rainscreen Cladding to - walls, columns, soffit, external downpipes and wind canopy columns
• Aluminium custom lettering fixed to rainscreen
• Aluminium Blind Boxes at Levels 6 & 7
• Thermosash Mechanical Louvers
• Solid Vertical Fins
• Thermosash Delta Suite hinged door & fire mimic panel