Constructed between 1962 and 1964, Massey University Colombo Hall is significant within the context of the development of its nationally important tertiary education institution’s Manawatū Campus, near Palmerston North. The reinforced concrete and timber building, designed by the Ministry of Works (MoW), is also historically significant because it was New Zealand’s first purpose-built student hall of residence connected with the Colombo Plan – a high-profile mid- to late-twentieth century international economic assistance programme. As Massey Agricultural College, Massey University opened its Manawatū Campus in 1928 and became a university in 1964. By this time the institution had identified the need to greatly expand its facilities to meet increased demand and New Zealand had been a signatory to the Colombo Plan for over a decade. Signed in 1951, the Colombo Plan aimed to bolster the economies of countries in South-east Asia through aid and other assistance. New Zealand’s main focus was providing expertise and training, which involved providing scholarships for international students to live and study here. These students participated in cultural exchange and diversified the student population. However, from the start Massey University Colombo Hall also housed other international and domestic students. It was the first of a collection of Massey University halls of residence constructed in the 1960s to accommodate the influx of students during that period, because ‘baby boomers’ were coming of age and the Colombo Plan increased exposure of New Zealand’s educational opportunities internationally. Colombo Plan students lived at Massey University Colombo Hall until the early 1970s and New Zealand ceased that scholarship programme in the 1980s, opting instead to provide similar assistance as part of bilateral aid programmes. However, the hall remained a popular choice for Massey University’s domestic and international students. Massey University Colombo Hall is a three storey building and an example of late New Zealand international modernism, designed by Government Architect Fergus George Frederick Sheppard with the assistance of Wanganui District Architect Nelson Newton Carnell. The building has typical features of this architectural approach, including a strong horizontal emphasis, a crisp, modulated appearance, and ground level open spaces, or the perception thereof, to provide transition between public and private areas as well as give the building an impression of lightness. Massey University Colombo Hall was the only MoW designed example among the four other New Zealand purpose-built Colombo Plan accommodation buildings. The only significant alteration to the building was a sympathetic circa 1984 addition, perpendicular and at the rear of the original building. The requirement of the hall specifically to house Colombo Plan scholars was relatively short-lived, but Massey University Colombo Hall’s construction was significant because it reflected the broader political and diplomatic national importance of the Colombo Plan, particularly from the 1950s to 1970s. Massey University Colombo Hall continues to be an integral component within the university’s student accommodation facilities and has social importance because it has been a home away from home for thousands of domestic and international students.
Location
List Entry Information
Overview
Detailed List Entry
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
9726
Date Entered
12th December 2018
Date of Effect
1st January 2019
City/District Council
Palmerston North City
Region
Horizons (Manawatū-Whanganui) Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes part of the land described as Pt Sec 189 Town of Fitzherbert (RT WN53C/243), Wellington Land District and the building known as Massey University Colombo Hall thereon. The extent does not include the circa 1984 addition, which is perpendicular to the original building. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).
Legal description
Pt Sec 189 Town of Fitzherbert (RT WN53C/243), Wellington Land District
Location Description
There are no street numbers for buildings along Colombo Road, which is within Massey University’s Manawatū campus. Massey University Colombo Hall is located approximately halfway along Colombo Road, on its west side.
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
9726
Date Entered
12th December 2018
Date of Effect
1st January 2019
City/District Council
Palmerston North City
Region
Horizons (Manawatū-Whanganui) Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes part of the land described as Pt Sec 189 Town of Fitzherbert (RT WN53C/243), Wellington Land District and the building known as Massey University Colombo Hall thereon. The extent does not include the circa 1984 addition, which is perpendicular to the original building. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).
Legal description
Pt Sec 189 Town of Fitzherbert (RT WN53C/243), Wellington Land District
Location Description
There are no street numbers for buildings along Colombo Road, which is within Massey University’s Manawatū campus. Massey University Colombo Hall is located approximately halfway along Colombo Road, on its west side.
Cultural Significance
Social Significance or Value Massey University Colombo Hall has social value as a home away from home for international and domestic students since it opened in 1964, and a valued hostel facility within the Manawatū Campus. However, the Colombo Plan and its associated Massey University hall had wider social implications, by increasing New Zealand’s profile abroad and attracting international students. Increased diversity within the student population and cultural exchange were important outcomes of New Zealand’s Colombo Plan participation.
Historic Significance
Historical Significance or Value Massey University Colombo Hall’s construction reflects the peak period of New Zealand’s involvement in the Colombo Plan – a high profile mid- to late- twentieth century international economic assistance scheme which New Zealand was a founding signatory to. In New Zealand the main built expressions of the country’s commitment to aiding the economic development of Colombo Plan membership countries, primarily in South-east Asia, were tertiary education buildings, including halls of residences. As the first purpose-built Colombo Plan accommodation in New Zealand, Massey University Colombo Hall has historic significance because it was constructed as a result of a concerted government effort to maximise the country’s ability to fulfil its international obligations under the Colombo Plan by providing New Zealand-based training. The hall’s important contribution to the scheme was demonstrated by Prime Minister Holyoake, other dignitaries and a large crowd attending its opening in 1964. Massey University Colombo Hall has historic importance because it represented a new chapter for this significant tertiary education institution. The hall’s construction in the early 1960s launched a significant second major building phase, contemporary with Massey University achieving its university status. This considerable expansion of facilities reflected the nationwide mid-twentieth century rapid increase in demand for tertiary education created by maturing ‘baby boomers’, some of whom then lived at Massey University Colombo Hall.
Physical Significance
Architectural Significance or Value Designed by the Ministry of Works, under the leadership of Government Architect Fergus George Frederick Sheppard and assisted by the Wanganui District Architect Nelson Newton Carnell, Massey University Colombo Hall has architectural importance as a mature example of the ministry’s international modernist work. The Hall displays the legacy of the previous Government Architect Gordon Wilson through its characteristic international modern features, including its park-like setting, symmetry, strong and clean horizontal lines, as well as pilotis and other architectural devises which lighten the building’s appearance.
Detail Of Assessed Criteria
It is considered that this place qualifies as a Category 2 historic place. It was assessed against, and found to qualify under the following criteria: a, b and k. (a) The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history Being the first of New Zealand’s halls of residents for Colombo Plan students, Massey University Colombo Hall was a significant signal of the government’s commitment to the building’s namesake international economic development programme, which has an important place in the history of New Zealand’s international relations. The expansion of Massey University’s campus facilities, heralded by Massey University Colombo Hall’s construction, was a result of the impact of the post-World War Two ‘baby boom’ in New Zealand. This upsurge in population had a flow-on effect, increasing the demands on tertiary education institutions around the country. (b) The association of the place with events, persons, or ideas of importance in New Zealand history Massey University Colombo Hall is directly associated with the Colombo Plan, which has been identified as an important contributor to the shift in New Zealand political and economic focus, as well as social perceptions. This shift coincided with New Zealand’s peak period of involvement with the Colombo Plan, the 1950s through to the 1970s, and saw the country become more connected to the Asia-Pacific region rather than relying on its traditional links with Britain. The political importance of the programme was demonstrated through associated events being highly publicised and attended by Prime Minister Holyoake, including the opening of Massey University Colombo Hall. (k) The extent to which the place forms part of a wider historical and cultural area Several buildings within Massey University’s Manawatū Campus have been recognised through entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. These form part of a wider historic precinct mapping the formation of this important educational institution. Massey University Colombo Hall represents the significant next phase of the university’s construction, the 1960s, and therefore contributes to the broader built heritage values associated with the campus.
Construction Professional
Biography
LAH Mason Limited was Palmerston North-based building company of Leonard Alfred Howard Mason (1916–2003). The company was registered from 1954 to 1990 and constructed Massey University Colombo Hall. Source: Proposal Report for Massey University Colombo Hall, PALMERSTON NORTH, List No. 9726, 26 No 2018, Karen Astwood.
Name
LAH Mason Limited (Builder)
Type
Builder
Biography
Nelson Newton Carnell (1911–1981) was a mid-twentieth century Ministry of Works Wanganui District Architect, involved in the development of designs for buildings such as Massey University Colombo Hall. Source: Proposal Report for Massey University Colombo Hall, PALMERSTON NORTH, List No. 9726, 26 No 2018, Karen Astwood.
Name
Nelson Newton Carnell (Architect)
Type
Architect
Construction Details
Finish Year
1964
Start Year
1962
Type
Original Construction
Description
Additional wing constructed
Start Year
1984
Type
Addition
Construction Materials
Glass; reinforced concrete; timber
The Manawatū region was settled by the Rangitāne people, whose ancestors were based in Hawke’s Bay, but the iwi gradually migrated south, to Tāmakinui-a-Rua (around present-day Dannevirke), Manawatū, Wairarapa, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) and Wairau in the South Island. There were many seasonal and permanent pā and kainga dotted along the Manawatū River in the area of what became Palmerston North. Indeed, Palmerston North was the site of a Rangitāne pā called Papaioea. Aside from the river, other resource-rich features of the area were its forest and fertile river flats. While many pā were abandoned by the 1820s, such as Te Motu o Poutoa (near Massey University’s Manawatū campus) which was destroyed in an attack by Ngāti Apa, it appears other nearby kainga were occupied by Rangitāne or others until the mid-nineteenth century. The negotiation process between iwi and the Crown for purchase of the area was protracted. However, the Massey University site was eventually sold to the Crown in 1864, along with the rest of Te Ahuaturanga block. Soon after in 1866, Palmerston township (later renamed Palmerston North) was surveyed and earnest European settlement began. However, settlement only gained momentum in the 1870s when the government’s immigration and public works scheme enticed greater numbers of people to the area. Palmerston North’s surrounding area, including the land on the opposite side of the Manawatū River, was soon cleared for farming. From 1871 to 1900 Sir James Prendergast (1826–1921), the Chief Justice of New Zealand who retired in 1899, owned the large Tiritea/Turitea Estate at Fitzherbert. The Palmerston North Borough Council purchased part of that property, from Percy McHardy, in 1928 for the purpose of then donating the land to establish a North Island-based agricultural college. Massey University in the early to mid-twentieth century From the 1880s there was demand for an agricultural college to be established in the North Island, to meet the needs of its farming community and to help New Zealand keep-up with international developments in agricultural practices. However, it was several decades before any real progress was made. Geoffrey Sylvester Peren (1892–1980) was appointed to the Chair of Agriculture at Wellington’s Victoria University College in June 1924 and he soon started lobbying for a single, specialist North Island agricultural college. His newly appointed Auckland University College colleague William Riddet (1896–1958) quickly joined Peren in promoting the idea to Prime Minister William Ferguson Massey (1856–1925). Massey supported creating a college to function alongside the South Island’s agricultural college at Lincoln in Canterbury (opened in 1880). In 1926 the New Zealand Agricultural College Act amalgamated the Wellington and Auckland agricultural colleges. The name was changed in 1927 to commemorate Massey and his role in the institution’s creation. Both Peren and Riddet were foundation staff. Courses began in 1928 and since then the institution has expanded, setting up additional campuses around the North Island, as well as offering extramural courses. For its first few decades activities at the Manawatū Campus were focused on the Oval and its surrounding buildings, such as the Main Building, the Refectory and Wharerata. However, in the mid-twentieth century rapidly increasing demand for tertiary education led to a major second phase of construction, completed between 1963 and 1971, at the newly named Massey University of Manawatū (soon shortened to Massey University) campus. Indeed, Massey University Colombo Hall and another contemporary Colombo Plan building, the Riddet Building (opened 1966), were viewed as, ‘in effect, the first stage of [the] comprehensive development scheme’ at Massey University. The developments consisted of mostly MoW designed buildings positioned around the central open space of the Concourse and also included Warren and Mahoney’s Student Centre (1966–68). In this period the demand for tertiary education from ‘baby boomers’ meant Massey University, like others around New Zealand, was also diversifying its curriculum through the creation of its faculties of Veterinary Sciences, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences. For example, there were five courses for the 500 students to pick from in 1960, rising to 28 courses and 2000 students by 1970. Therefore, in addition to Massey University Colombo Hall, many accommodation buildings were constructed or acquired during this growth period, including Fergusson Hall (1964), Elliot House and Fitzherbert/Bindaloe House (1966), and Walter Dyer Hall (1969). City, Egmont, and Rotary Courts (1970–71), as well as Kairanga Court (1977), were all designed by William (Bill) Alington (1929–). The Colombo Plan and international students at Massey University Massey University had connected on an international level from early in its history. However, early engagement was mostly because the campus was a ‘stop on the circuit for international visitors’, including academics and dignitaries. Students also visited, but it was only after World War Two that small numbers of Chinese and Indian students appear to have begun studying there. This was soon to change. A rapid increase in demand for New Zealand’s mid-twentieth century higher educational offerings was not restricted to domestic students, thanks mostly to the Colombo Plan. The Colombo Plan was created in World War Two’s aftermath and in the context of the perceived threat of Communism’s spread, the Cold War, and de-colonisation in Asia. It had similar national and international security motivations to the Australia, New Zealand and United States treaty (ANZUS, signed 1951) and the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO, established 1955). However, New Zealand is said to have ‘put more effort into the Colombo Plan’ than SEATO because it focused on stopping Communism’s spread through Asia by enhancing living conditions, rather than by defence. The scheme worked ‘[n]ot by imposing the will of the developed countries [such as New Zealand], but instead by hearing from the Asian nations what their needs were, and then working towards providing solutions’. Indeed, the Colombo Plan was not a single plan, but promoted the creation of individual cooperative arrangements between countries, based on ‘mutual endeavour and respect’, to achieve the overarching goals. For Massey University, in particular, the Colombo Plan is said to have been ‘vital in establishing the University’s links in Asia’. The Colombo Plan (originally known as the Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic Development in South and Southeast Asia) was different from contemporary treaties because it was underpinned by a certain amount of ‘benevolence and idealism’. It was developed by Commonwealth Foreign Ministers and finalised at Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1950. When implemented in 1951, this included direct aid, but also the proffering of expertise and training opportunities, from ‘developed’ countries – Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom – to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This list soon expanded beyond the British Commonwealth, with Japan and the United States of America joining to assist, among others: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaya, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. It has been said to be ‘one of history’s greatest programmes of international co-operation’ because it fostered ‘increased productive capacity and economic activity…[as well as] confidence and hope’. It has also been argued that involvement in the Colombo Plan helped mid-twentieth century New Zealanders shift their mind-set and begin to primarily see themselves as part of the Asia-Pacific region, rather than, first and foremost, a far-flung outpost of Britain. New Zealand was not able to match the same amount of capital aid as the other donor/developed countries, so instead focused on providing expertise and training. However, on reviewing two decades of participation in the Colombo Plan, in 1971 Prime Minister Keith Holyoake (1904–1983) highlighted that New Zealand did not scrimp in any of the main modes of assistance under the Colombo Plan: ‘a country of fewer than 3 million people, has contributed more than $40 million…[o]ver 3,000 students have come to New Zealand for higher education and…[m]ore than 350 New Zealand experts have undertaken long-term assignments in Colombo Plan countries’. Holyoake appears to have had considerable interest in promoting the Colombo Plan, which is indicative of its contemporary political importance. Holyoake presided at many events and occasions associated with the Colombo Plan, including making a point of personally meeting the 3000th Colombo Plan student to come to New Zealand. Colombo Plan Day (1 July) was established in 1961 and the 1971 celebrations were hosted by Holyoake at Parliament Buildings, Wellington, in conjunction with Mayoral receptions in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. Indeed, publicity characterised New Zealand’s involvement in the Colombo Plan to the extent that it is said to have amounted to a ‘preoccupation with publicity’. For the decade starting from March 1951, almost 900 Colombo Plan students travelled to New Zealand. A notable early Colombo Plan Massey University student was Dr Verghese Kurien in 1952-53, who was awarded the World Food Prize in 1989 for his dairy industry work in India. The process for selecting students like Dr Kurien involved them being nominated by their home country and, if selected by New Zealand’s Department of External Affairs, the New Zealand government then paid for their study and stay. The process of selecting Colombo Plan scholars was one reason given for the considerable extension of New Zealand diplomatic representation in Asia from the mid-1950s, which went from ‘non-existent’ to accounting for around half of all New Zealand’s diplomatic posts. Early experience had demonstrated that New Zealand’s most effective Colombo Plan contribution was providing training opportunities. Therefore, from the late 1950s there was a concerted effort to cultivate this further and agricultural training was identified as a main area of focus, particularly dairying. However, by early 1960 Massey University had limited capacity to cope with local and international demand for their degree and diploma courses and it was increasing. In 1957 there were 410 students either taking degree or diploma courses at Massey University, but even with restrictions in place the university estimated that number would rise to 600 by 1963. The Colombo Plan scholarship programme raised the profile of New Zealand universities abroad and numbers of privately funded international students were also increasing. Therefore, Massey University lobbied the Department of External Affairs for additional educational and accommodation facilities. Principal Alan Stewart (1917–2004) stated the ‘most important single facility required for better provision for Colombo Plan students is hostel accommodation’. At the time over half Massey University’s students were housed off-campus in private accommodation and it was difficult for domestic students, let alone international ones who had varying levels of English language skills, to find suitable homes. Along with the construction of Riddet Building, which was a dairy technology unit, a new hostel at Massey University was announced by the government in September 1960 as one of the main ways of increasing New Zealand’s national capacity to host Colombo Plan students. The Department of External Affairs wanted Massey University Colombo Hall to be ‘a worthy and distinctive addition to the university hostels of New Zealand’. Planning by the MoW began in earnest in 1961 and an initial concept drawing was featured on the cover of Building Progress in September 1962 as part of the publication’s profiling of ‘outstanding new project[s]’. Construction on the basement level had begun by early December 1962. Although partially occupied from February 1964, Massey University Colombo Hall was officially opened on 4 March 1964 by Holyoake. Other dignitaries at the well-publicised event included the High Commissioner for India VK Ahuja, William Henry Brown (1899–1967) who was the Member of Parliament for Palmerston North and Sheppard, as well as Department of External Affairs staff, County Councillors and a large crowd. The event ‘began as a solemn, dignified ceremony [and] ended up as a hilarious piece of slap-stick’, due to some student antics which Holyoake played along with. A spokesperson, dubbed ‘Lady Massey’, reprimanded the Prime Minister for letting the architects orientate the building incorrectly and not opening all the building’s facilities properly. Holyoake conceded that he could not legislate to change the sun’s position, but he was happy to unveil a telephone and a toilet roll holder. Colombo Plan student housing became a focus around the country during the 1960s. A hostel in Christchurch, Warwick House (demolished 2011), had been purchased in 1960 and accommodation at other universities followed Massey University Colombo Hall, which was the first purpose-built Colombo Plan hall of residence facility completed. The others included additions to existing hostels at Otago University (Arana Hall/College) and Victoria University of Wellington (Weir House), and construction of International/Whittaker Hall at Auckland University, which were all completed in 1968. Lincoln University’s Colombo Hall opened in 1970. Cognisant of the potential for international students to experience culture-shock, the Colombo Plan student accommodation facilities endeavoured to provide suitable, culturally safe spaces and hospitable home environments for international students. Being divided into single bedroom units, replete with bed, storage and study desk, meant students at Massey University Colombo Hall had a certain amount of privacy. The Common Room was a shared space, especially busy around dinner time, and the scene of group events, like ‘Asian meal night’. An initial challenge for some international students were the bathroom facilities (also communal), which were a new experience. Although originally a male-only hall (female visitors allowed until 10pm), Massey University Colombo Hall was not segregated further by being exclusively for Colombo Plan students. For example, in its inaugural year Massey University Colombo Hall was home to domestic and Australian students, as well as those from Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. An early resident remembers Colombo Hall as ‘a happy comfortable place where everything worked well, and where lifelong friends were made’. Of course, the classes the international students took were also integrated and it seems that most of the Colombo Plan scholars embraced ‘Kiwi culture’ and added diversity to New Zealand student life. One Massey University Colombo Hall resident who attended Massey University from 1965 to 1968, Dr Young In Park from South Korea, noted that language was challenging aspect of classes. However, his time at Massey University was: ‘…memorable because there were lots of outside activities such as social and hobby clubs, a Maori culture study group and international programmes. Drinking cold beer, eating pork trotters and singing Korean songs on Friday evenings always made us feel as if we were part of the young generation, and this really compensated for our hard course work’. This also highlights that cultural exchange was a feature of New Zealand’s participation in the Colombo Plan. In 1961 Holyoake noted that through ‘the presence of these young people amongst our own, we have the opportunity to learn from countries whose cultural inheritance is in many ways richer and more varied than ours’. A Colombo Hall resident in the early 1970s agreed the benefits were ‘incalculable both to the [Colombo Plan] students and New Zealand in terms of goodwill and “soft” diplomacy. It was also an invaluable multicultural experience for locals like me’. In the context of a shift in aid focus to the Pacific, as well as the beginnings of user-pays education, New Zealand stopped taking Colombo Plan students in the 1980s. Also, the Colombo Plan’s training role was increasingly incorporated into bilateral aid programmes instead. However, New Zealand remains a Colombo Plan member country, albeit considerably less actively than during the Colombo Plan’s peak decades: the 1950s to 1970s. In 2018 the focus of Colombo Plan activities was ‘public policy formulation in an environment of globalisation and market economy, private sector development as a prime mover for growth and in drug abuse and prevention in member countries’. Beyond the Colombo Plan at Massey University Colombo Hall Colombo Plan students appear to have resided at Massey University Colombo Hall into the 1970s, but had ceased by the time New Zealand officially stopped offering Colombo Plan scholarships. Despite only hosting Colombo Plan students for around a decade, the hall’s ‘distinct’ international character continued. However, other changes to hall policy in this period included opening it up to female students, which had occurred by 1974. Then, from 1976 first years students were prioritised for residency, in line with the university’s goal of attracting more students. This would appear to have worked because in the mid-1980s , as was the case in the 1960s, Massey University was faced with increased demand for accommodation, particularly from first year students traveling from beyond Palmerston North to study there. A delayed government policy on student housing meant construction of a brand new hall of residence was shelved, but the housing problem was assessed by the university as being serious and in need of an immediate solution. Therefore, to ease the problem an addition to Massey University Colombo Hall was designed by well-known local architect David Chapple and constructed circa 1984 by prominent Palmerston North building firm, McMillan and Lockwood Limited. Anyone who has lived in a university hall of residence is more than likely to have experienced a range of student antics. Massey University Colombo Hall, considered ‘rather elite’, appears to have been no different. One supervisor in the mid to late 1970s, who has fond memories of the place, remembers the long, uninterrupted, hallways being perfect for pumpkin rolling, and sheep seem to have made their way into the hall at various times. Former residents recall a student, in a compromising position, being locked outside and attempting other means of after-hours entry, but also that in the early years the rooms had no locks, meaning projectiles could be tossed in at inopportune moments to interrupt ‘amorous adventures’. Of course, not all these experiences were without consequences or injury, with supervisors also needing to take some students to hospital to be ‘patched up again’. Like most of Massey University’s other Manawatū Campus halls of residence, Massey University Colombo Hall currently (2018) caters for all genders, and is open to domestic and international students. It is part of the Turitea Community Halls, a group of halls of residences, right in the heart of the Manawatū Campus and adjacent to many academic buildings. The building’s two wings offer single occupancy rooms for 66 students.
Current Description Massey University Colombo Hall is set-back from its namesake road with park-like grounds surrounding the building. The conscious positioning of the building within the flat landscape emphasises its horizontality and creates a sense of ceremony when approaching the hall, as well as an opportunity to appreciate it. The mature trees around Massey University Colombo Hall soften what could otherwise be an abrupt transition between landscape and building and also provide light and shadow effects which enliven the building’s smooth surfaces. The 1980s west addition, sympathetically designed to reference the earlier building’s features in a contemporary manner, is at right angles to Massey University Colombo Hall and is not visible from Colombo Road. Massey University Colombo Hall is a strongly rectangular (41 metres (m) long and 10 m wide), reinforced concrete framed, three storey building. It was designed in the tradition of important examples of modern architecture, such as Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, Poissy, France (1928–31) which features a boldly rectangular white box appearing to hover off the ground but supported on structural pilotis, ribbon windows and a flat roof. Horizontal emphasis and, at least the suggestion of, symmetry are also characteristics of this modernist approach. Massey University Colombo Hall is a relatively late example of international modernism in New Zealand and, in the context of the development of a more New Zealand-specific modernism, could be seen as a conservative choice by the MoW in the early 1960s. While international modernism had dominated New Zealand’s architecture for decades, a diversity of approach rapidly took hold in the 1960s and into the 1970s. However, when viewed in the context of their oeuvre, Massey University Colombo Hall marks a transition period for the MoW. It continues the tradition of international modernism characteristic of Gordon Wilson’s (1900–59) time as the Department of Housing’s Chief Architect (1936–48) and as Government Architect (1952–59), with examples such as the Dixon Street Flats in Wellington (1944) and the University of Otago’ Dental School (1957–61), and foreshadows the brutalist work which came to dominate the wealth of tertiary education buildings, including those at Massey University, designed later in Sheppard’s tenure as Government Architect (1959–71). The period from the late 1950s to the early 1970s has been described as a ‘remarkable period of growth in New Zealand architecture’, with increased Government spending on public architecture meaning that, as Government Architect, Sheppard was responsible for approximately 900 building projects. Massey University and the MoW began developing the design brief for Massey University Colombo Hall relatively early in Sheppard’s term as Government Architect and initial sketch plans were produced by June 1961. Wanganui District Architect, Nelson Newton Carnell (1911–1981) then produced working drawings in late 1961. The building was designed with capacity for 48 students, as well as a ground floor two-bedroom Warden’s Flat and a Common Room. The contract was let in late August 1962 to local building company, LAH Mason Limited, who completed the job on 29 February 1964. Massey University Colombo Hall’s ground level composition is characteristic of international modern movement architecture, with the walls of the Warden’s Flat and the Common Room’s glazing set back from structural columns. While the distance between the piloti and walls is not as pronounced as examples like the Wanganui War Memorial Hall (1955–60), the Warden’s Flat and entrance is panelled in vertical shiplap timber boarding to catch shadows and help make the walls appear further back from the pilotis than they are, while the Common Room’s extensive glazing along its east and west sides creates sightlines through the building. These techniques create a sense of weightlessness as well as easing the transition from public to private space. Also contributing to this effect are the southern verandah, as well as a porte-cochére between the main entrance and Warden’s Flat, which provide sheltered ground level spaces within the building’s elongated rectangular footprint. The use of piloti, as well as ‘trabeated forms’ – expression of the building’s large scale post and lintel construction – is also common elsewhere in the 1960s campus development’s brutalist buildings, such as the Registry Building (1967–74). The upper two levels of Massey University Colombo Hall are organised in symmetrical rectilinear grids consisting of three pairs of large modulated window units, which correspond to each of the ‘light and large’ hostel rooms, on both the east and west sides of the building. The accommodation spaces flank central areas housing the bathrooms and stairwell, which are necessarily expressed on the exterior by solid concrete walling with bands of small awning windows along the front façade. These provide some light and ventilation to the bathrooms without jeopardising privacy. The south-end bathroom window on each level has subsequently been removed and ventilation fans installed into timber panels. The crisp lines of the building’s front and rear upper level fair-faced concrete further emphasise the building’s horizontality. As well as the surrounding trees, the building’s streamlined and strong rectangular form is off-set with sculptural elements at each end, in the form of external access/fire exit staircases, which were constructed by mid-October 1963. The building’s framing is highlighted on these sides with solid recessed areas of textured concrete. These, again, symmetrical units are punctured with exits connected to the staircases’ suspended walkways and the stairs, which have solid concrete balustrades wrapping around a central concrete column. Aside from the first and second storey connections with the 1980s addition and a few other exceptions, there have been few alterations to the original building when viewed from the exterior. However, while the original bronze ‘Colombo Hall’ lettering, installed in a few months after the building’s opening appears to have been retained, the letters have subsequently been positioned closer together and higher up the central lower front of the building. Below this, the concrete block raised garden has been retained in part, but the space also has a conspicuously positioned metal structure providing external access to the basement level. The original window shades were damaged during the 1968 Wahine storm and have were removed some time since the early 1980s, as has the distinctive services funnel on the roof. However, the tank room remains. Interior The basement level has housed the boiler and laundry facilities since the building’s construction. The internal stairs are the original concrete ones, while the upper levels have lighter-weight metal staircases which appear to have been installed, or renovated, during the circa 2015 interior upgrade of the building. The two bedroom ground level Warden’s Flat has a private entrance along the front façade, which is flanked by the bathroom and kitchen. The open plan dining and lounge area, occupying the width of the north end, has French doors opening out of its west side. Also, along the west side are the bedrooms and the laundry is at the end of the passageway. The hall’s main entrance is on the opposite side of the porte-cochére, from which there is immediate access to the main staircase, as well as to the Common Room in the remaining section of the building’s southern end. Originally, this communal space had a recessed parquet floor, but the floor level has been raised considerably to just below the window sills. As suggested from the exterior, the upper two floors of the building have identical layouts, with wings of residential units separated by a section containing the bathrooms, stairs. Each level’s main corridor has uninterrupted views from one end to the other. The internal partitions are constructed in timber. The student rooms, on either side of a central corridor originally had built-in furniture, including a bed, wardrobe, desk and book shelf. These have been updated over time, including circa 2015. However, the ground floor Warden’s Flat appears to have some remaining original joinery, including: the kitchen cabinetry, a servery, doors, and an in-built rimu china cabinet in the lounge, as well as rimu wardrobes in each of the bedrooms. Comparative analysis Aside from Massey University Colombo Hall, there are four other identified remaining examples of Colombo Plan-generated New Zealand student accommodation buildings which were all completed after Massey University Colombo Hall and are still (2018) in use as university halls of residence. The University of Otago’s Arana Hall/College Colombo Wing was constructed between 1962 and 1968 and had a planned capacity of 56, which was slightly higher than Massey University Colombo Hall’s 48. The Colombo Wing appears to have been designed by the longstanding Dunedin architectural practice of Miller, White and Dunn, and was constructed in conjunction with the hall’s Bates Wing. The building is not as long as Massey University Colombo Hall, but has an additional storey. It shares features with its Massey University counterpart, such as bands of windows emphasising the building’s horizontality. However, it is constructed in brick and does not have other characteristic international modernist features like the ground level piloti and open spaces or a flat roof. Also completed in 1968 was Victoria University of Wellington’s addition to Weir House, the New/James Hutchinson Wing. Kingston, Reynolds, Thom and Allardice designed this building in 1963. The concrete block building differed substantially from the MoW’s Massey University Colombo Hall, originally featuring much smaller pairings of windows and a slightly gabled roof, with trough profile cladding capping the upper level. This building was modified in 1994 and the project included adding another level to its original three storeys, in a style more in keeping with Weir House’s original 1933 building. This is the most altered of the Colombo Plan-related accommodation facilities around New Zealand. Of the Colombo Plan hostels, the University of Auckland’s International House/Whitaker Hall has had its architectural qualities highlighted by Professor Errol Haarhoff, who cites it as an example of a 1960s reinvigoration of modernism which generated work which was ‘more responsive to social and physical contexts and more concerned with generating regional variations’. This hall was also designed by a private architectural practice, JASMaD, and constructed between 1965 and 1971. Like the Otago University example, this hall of residence, constructed predominantly in brick, seems a closer relation to Massey University Colombo Hall than the Weir House wing. However, it consists of several buildings, with a variety of sloping roofs, grouped around courtyards, so International House/Whitaker Hall had a larger original capacity than the other examples – accommodating over three times as many students as Massey University Colombo Hall. Lincoln University’s Colombo Hall was also a completely new build, in brick and concrete, and it was the last of the purpose-built Colombo Plan student accommodation facilities to be constructed. Unlike Massey University Colombo Hall, Lincoln University’s equivalent is a row of three four storey buildings, perpendicular to Farm Road, and has capacity for 80 students. Appearing as a series of cubes, Lincoln University’s Colombo Hall and the neighbouring Lowrie Hall share the same format and were both completed in 1970. Unlike Massey University, but in keeping with the other examples, Lincoln University’s Colombo Hall was designed by a private practice - the well-known Christchurch-based practice of Trengrove, Trengrove and Marshall. All the examples had a larger capacity than this first Colombo Plan accommodation building constructed at Massey University, which seems to reflect the relative size of the other institutions and the demand on accommodation at the time they were conceived. This collection of Colombo Plan buildings demonstrates the variety of approaches to modern movement architecture which developed throughout the 1960s and Massey University Colombo Hall is distinct among this group because it is the only hall designed by the MoW. It is unclear why private architects were commissioned for the other halls, but it may have been because of the MoW’s heavy workload during the period, including many other university buildings. It was not unusual in this period for tertiary education buildings to be completed by private architects, with some notable examples being Warren and Mahoney’s College House at University of Canterbury (1965–70) and their ‘adventurous’ Student Centre at Massey University.
Completion Date
11th November 2018
Report Written By
Karen Astwood
Information Sources
Gatley, 2008
Christine McCarthy, ‘Hannah Playhouse (also known as Downstage)’Julia Gatley (ed.), Long Live the Modern: New Zealand's New Architecture 1904-1984, Auckland University Press, Auckland, 2008
Massey University, 1996
The Asia Connection: Massey University and Asia, Palmerston North, Massey University, 1996.
History of Education Review, 2012
Collins, Jenny, ‘Perspectives from the periphery? Colombo Plan scholars in New Zealand Universities, 1951–1971’, History of Education Review, 41:2 (2012), pp.129–46.
Centre of Building Performance, Victoria University of Wellington, 2005
Duncan, Janet, ‘From Paraparaumu to Palmerston North: FGF Sheppard’s Government Architecture of the 1960s’, in Christine McCarthy ed., …about as austere as a Dior gown: New Zealand architecture in the 1960s, Symposium proceedings, Centre of Building Performance, Victoria University of Wellington, 9 Dec 2005, pp.26–32.
Report Written By
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Current Usages
Uses: Education
Specific Usage: Staff housing
Uses: Education
Specific Usage: University Halls of Residence