The significant use of metaphor within Maori architecture is a theme central to my investigation. It is not ornamentation that is of interest in this thesis, it is the meaning and ideas behind the ornamentation that are being investigated. The use of metaphor and symbolism is vitally important in Maori architecture, where the many elements of traditional Maori architecture are used to present a chronicle of the tribe’s history, for example: “When you enter a wharenui, you enter through the embrace of the founding ancestor, the tupuna, the carved koruru figure at the apex of the roof is the face and the large bargeboards on each side are the outstretched arms. The interior walls are often adorned with ancestral figures that are carved, woven or painted. These connect to the main wharenui ancestors through the heke (rafters) and tahuhu (ridge beam) The tahuhu is the most sacred part of the wharenui and represents the backbone of the ancestor. Residing within it is the mauri, or the life spirit that binds the people and the building together”7 Wharenui have also been referred to as the built medium where the sky father Ranginui, and earth mother Papatuanuku touch one another again; after their separation at the hands of their children which stand between them as the uprights. The tears of Ranginui fall on to Paptuanuku as the rain falls from the roof on to the ground below. It is this personification of structure through the use of metaphor that permeates through all elements of Maori architecture. This is important to understand when endeavouring to design a building to represent New Zealand culture, which will be the vessel for so many emotion filled experiences.
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