What defines a Pae
Paepae, or simply "pae," can mean a "beam," "threshold," or "place of exchange." They can be both physical and figurative.
On marae, the pae-kōrero (orators’ bench) marks the threshold between haukāinga (local people) and manuhiri (visitors). Other paepae mark environmental borders, such as pae-moana (ocean's horizon), pae-whenua (land's horizon), and pae-tawhiti (a distant horizon).
The common aspect of paepae is that they demarcate exchange. Examples of this include the ex- change between: one state and another (emotional, physical and spiritual); the world of living and the after-life; and one environment and another, e.g. the ocean and the land.
The word ‘rere’ describes flow and movement. It is used in te reo Māori extensively, including to describe breath and the forming of life, the way blood flows through your body, or the flow of a persons thoughts, as examples.
It also has strong application in describing the dynamic characteristics of the natural world, including the movements of the sun and moon, the flow of water, the blowing of the wind, or the falling of rain.
In this application rere creates an intentional juxtaposition between movement and stillness, reflecting the haerenga or journey: kā rongo (to sense), kā marama (to understand), kā oho (to be conscious).
Wā describes the inseparable relationship of time, pause, and presence. The word reflects seasons, captured moments and designated spaces, and has been used in this conjunction to encourage people to be still and to reconnect with the natural world.
Principles of Paererewā
Āhua Motuhake — Distinctive
Site-specific works that reflect the timeless narratives of community, each is realised through a designers vision.
Herenga Tāngata — Connected
Centered on collaboration, community and interwoven multi-generational experiences.
Tohu Rangatira — Revered
Culturally rich and symbolically and physically enduring. Pae objects are tangible markers of time.
Toitūtanga — Regenerative
Encourages discourse, builds understanding and generates new modes of thought. Part of a process of creating a new model of multigenerational community philanthropy.
Pānga — Functional
Is or becomes an object with function, a dwelling place allowing rest and reflection.
Get startedInspirations & Influences
Lux Stahlhof Belval Ouest
Public space can rehabilitate such as formerly industrial urban spaces like the redevelopment of Esch-sur-Alzette. This project turned a former steel mill into a public space, embracing the concrete brutalism of the architecture while encouraging nature in the form of mosses and hardy birch trees to recolonise.
Ōhinetahi Folly
The large home on the property partially collapsed in the Christchurch earthquakes, and the fallen stones were repurposed into this folly. No seating, but a staircase leads to the upstairs window which frames a view that’s otherwise unavailable.
The Best Weapon
A bench commissioned by the Nobel Peace Centre titled The Best Weapon after Nelson Mandela’s quote "The best weapon is to sit down and talk". The curvature of the bench encourages people to sit together and start conversations. A literal and metaphorical approach to building connections between people, and a beautiful object. Made from the world’s greenest anodized aluminium and produced in a completely carbon-neutral process.
Te Maharatanga o Ngā Wai
Remembering our lost waterways and the people who
will move through, visit and live here. The story of the place is told by local indigenous people through artful and functional design intervention. The project offers fresh ideas on structures and forms.
A Paererewā is something enduring, embedded in the land, to last 1,000 years, to protect and revere a sacred space for stillness, reflection and wisdom.
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