Tapu Te Ranga Marae, Maori cultural center in Island Bay, New Zealand

Tapu Te Ranga Marae was a ten-storey building named Pare Waaka, set into a hillside in Island Bay. Its frame was made from wooden cases used to ship vehicles from Japan, filled in with recycled timbers, doors and stained-glass windows salvaged from demolition contracts. The hillside was levelled by hand into seven sections using picks and shovels. The main building was destroyed by fire in June 2019.

Bruce Stewart founded the marae in 1974 after leaving prison with $25, gathering unemployed young Māori who had come to Wellington for work. He leased 24 hectares from the Home of Compassion, and construction led by Stewart, his whānau, tradesmen, local youth and gang members continued for 30 years. The main building, Pare Waaka, was destroyed by fire on 9 June 2019.

The marae's name, Tapu Te Ranga, was carried by the community Bruce Stewart built from 1974, starting with young Māori he collected in his van for furniture-making workshops in Newtown and carving sessions at The Workshop. The main building, Pare Waaka, was raised over 30 years by whānau, tradesmen, local youth and gang members, and its loss in the 2019 fire ended that gathering place.

The main building, Pare Waaka, was destroyed by fire on 9 June 2019, so there is no ten-storey structure to walk through today. The marae occupies 24 hectares leased from the Home of Compassion in Island Bay. Check current access arrangements with the marae before visiting, as the site is a living Māori community space rather than a public attraction.

The site incorporates recycled shipping containers from Japan and stained glass installations salvaged from demolished buildings. This creative use of discarded materials gives the structures a distinctive visual character.