Named after a World War I hospital ship and built as a drill hall for medical students, Marama Hall is the most decorative of the Otago University bluestone buildings in the quadrangle and was built in 1923. A part of the complex of University buildings built between 1878 and the 1920s, Marama Hall constitutes part of the nineteenth and early twentieth century gothic University in New Zealand. It has architectural and historical significance.

Both iwi history and archaeological evidence show Māori occupation in the Ōtākou / Otago region since the 12th century. Today, Kāi Tahu mana whenua is recognised over a large part of Te Wai Pounamu. Kāti Māmoe and Waitaha shared occupation are always acknowledged. The hapū Kai Te Pahi, Kāti Moki, and Kāti Taoka still maintain their presence and responsibility as kaitiaki in this region. Traditional Māori place names include Ōwheo (the Water of Leith), a river that runs directly in front of the Clock Tower building and though campus, would have facilitated travel by waka from the coast to places further inland and the mouth of Ōwheo, known as Te Tutai o Te Matauira, was likely a valuable settlement area for accessing kaimoana and other resources. While there were no permanent settlements around Leith Street, the area near the Toitū Tauraka waka (List No. 9774) was known as Ōtepoti.

The Otago Provincial Council established New Zealand’s first university in 1869. By 1877 the University had outgrown that space and requested the government for use of the northern half of the land assigned for botanical gardens, which was granted. In 1876 architect Maxwell Bury (1825-1912) won the competition for the design of the Clock Tower (List No 62) and Geology Block (List No 4765) for the Otago University in 1877. Bury was heavily influenced by the recently completed Glasgow University, design by George Gilbert Scott in 1870.

Constructed of Port Chalmers breccia for the base and andesite with Oamaru stone facings for the walls and a slate roof, Marama Hall is the youngest of the complex of older University buildings built in 1923. Edmund Anscombe (1874-1948), architect, faithfully followed the style set by Maxwell Bury.

In 1919 the Ministry of Defence offered the University surplus money from the Hospital Ships’ fund to build a hall for the military training of medical students. The foundation stone was laid 1 October 1919 by Lord Liverpool and Viscount Jellicoe performed the official opening ceremony on 18 April 1923. The building was originally named the Maheno and Marama Hall after two World War I hospital ships, the NZHS Marama and the NZHS Maheno. The new drill hall was erected beside the Student Union and included a model gymnasium as well as offices, a committee room and an apparatus room.

Marama Hall has a more ornate façade than the nearby building with four castellated towers on the front and back facades, pointed tops to the windows and a stone pillared cloister along the side sheltered by Allen Hall. There are six shields carved in Oamaru stone on the front façade, depicting two different coats of arms. A huge board on the right hand wall of the foyer lists every member of the Medical Corps, Dental Corps, New Zealand Army Nursing and Chaplains Department.

The drill hall function was soon supplanted by other student uses and the Students’ Union used it until 1960. The Education Department moved in until 1968 followed by the Music Department.

The exterior of the building is unmodified and the interior has been modified to some degree. Today Marama Hall remains the home of classical performance as part of the School of Performing Arts.