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Story: Contemporary Māori art – ngā toi hōu

Futuna Chapel

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Futuna Chapel

Futuna Chapel in Karori, Wellington, was designed by architect John Scott (Taranaki, Te Arawa). After six years in private practice, Scott was commissioned by the Catholic Society of Mary to design the chapel as a spiritual retreat. It combines structural elements of the Māori meeting house – a central pole, rib-like rafters and low eaves – with traditional church architecture, and reflects the influence of European modernist architects such as Le Corbusier. Futuna Chapel is widely regarded as New Zealand's most significant 20th-century building.

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Friends of Futuna Charitable Trust

by Gavin Woodward

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How to cite this page

Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, Contemporary Māori art – ngā toi hōu – Ngā whanaketanga hou, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/45365/futuna-chapel (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, published 27 May 2014.