Look closer at the buildings, landscapes and public spaces that shape the way we live.
Step inside remarkable homes, working architecture studios and cultural spaces, and explore ideas around built heritage, landscape, lighting, urbanism and the future of our cities.
From open homes and studio visits to talks, tours and exhibitions, this is your invitation to look closer, think differently and discover the ideas shaping the places around us.
Most events are free to attend, with some requiring registration due to limited capacity; others are koha or ticketed.
Whanganui Mūmū: Whanganui By Design Exhibition and Curator Talk
Featuring Māori designers’ artistry and innovation alongside the awa for more than 800 years, to the imaginative architects who created the city’s famed buildings and the many designers and artists working here now.
Talk
23 October
12:15 - 1:15 pm
Whanganui Regional Museum
FREE, bookings required
REGISTER HERE
Exhibition
16-25 October
10:00 am - 4:30pm
Whanganui Regional Museum
FREE
MORE INFORMATION
He Puawaitana, the Flourishing Te Ao Hou Marae: Open Day
Te Ao Hou Marae is a significant Māori cultural and community hub in Aramoho, Whanganui. It provides a place for gatherings, celebrations, remembrance, and the sharing of culture and knowledge. As a venue, it offers a unique and meaningful setting grounded in the traditions and values of mana whenua.
17-19 October
10:00am-4:00pm
Aramoho, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
Design Review Journal Covers (1947-1953) Exhibition, Opening and Book Launch
Between 1947 and 1953 the Architectural Centre in Wellington published New Zealand’s first design journal. To mark its 80th anniversary, Whanganui publishing house Small Bore Books is releasing a selection from the Design Review archives.
20 October
5:00-7:00 pm
Lockett Gallery, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
Re:Using the City–Reimagining Whanganui’s Built Heritage
Show and Tell: Join us for six case studies spotlighting the creative re-use of Whanganui’s heritage infrastructure by architects, designers and developers.
Keynote and Public Forum: Hosted by Bill McKay – Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture University of Auckland and RNZ commentator on architecture and design.
22 October
Show and Tell session
3:30pm-6:30pm
Keynote Speaker: Bill McKay
7:00-9:00pm
Whanganui War Memorial Centre
FREE, bookings required
WELL-LUG Brick Builders: Architecture that Connects
An exhibition built exclusively from LEGO® bricks! Come and see an array of very different build designs, from the arts, play and culture to visions of the future. Their aim: to highlight our various connections to the architecture in our lives.
16-18 October
10:00am-4:00pm
Whanganui War Memorial Centre
FREE, bookings required
LandLAB: Landscape as Operating System, Exhibition and Talk
Through ten built, designed and speculative projects from Aotearoa, LandLAB explores how a landscape-led approach can connect environmental resilience, cultural identity and urban development to create places that are more adaptive, meaningful and enduring.
Exhibition
10.00am-5.00pm
Friday 23rd Oct - 25th October 2026
Palmy Conference + Function Centre
FREE, bookings required
Talk
10.15am-11.00am
Saturday 25th October 2026
Palmy Conference + Function Centre
FREE, bookings required
Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery Tour
Join gallery staff for a tour and gain insights into the latest exhibitions, gallery history, and the award-winning redevelopment that has transformed one of Aotearoa’s oldest purpose-built galleries into a dynamic space where art, ideas and community connect.
18 October
11:00am - 12:00pm
Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
Beca Lighting Studio: Designing the Night Guided Tours Whanganui and Palmerston North
Experience Whanganui and Palmy with fresh eyes and a new awareness of the night. Slow down, look closely, and notice how light and darkness shape mood, movement, and perception. Along the guided walking tour, uncover the thinking behind what is lit, how it is lit, and what is deliberately left in shadow.
Whanganui
23 October
8:00pm-9:00pm
Whanganui War Memorial Centre
KOHA, bookings required
REGISTER HERE
Palmerston North
24 October
8:00pm-9:00pm
Te Marae o Hine – The Square
KOHA, bookings required
HERE presents: OPEN HOME WHANGANUI & PALMERSTON NORTH
This very special event that opens architecturally designed houses to the public – a unique opportunity to see inside buildings you would otherwise only ever see in a magazine.
The programme spans two days, Friday in Whanganui, Te Papaioea Palmerston North on Saturday. Don't miss this very special, one off event.
23-24 October
Time and location details will be provided once ticket purchase is complete.
Cost: $30+BF
Whanganui Heritage Walking Tour / Old Buildings, New Uses: Adaptive Reuse Walking Tour
Join Whanganui District Council Heritage Planner Scott Flutey for a walk around central Whanganui, putting a lens over examples of older buildings successfully upgraded in recent years.
Friday 23 October
10.30am-12pm
Whanganui War Memorial Centre
FREE, bookings required
Black Pine Architects: Open Studios
Grab a coffee and join the Black Pine team for an open discussion exploring The True Cost of Bad Design and how smarter design starts by asking better questions.
Sunday 18 October
10.00am-12pm
Black Pine Architects, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required
Dalgleish Architects: Open Studio
Come in for a coffee and an informal tour, meet the team and discover the breadth of work being designed right here in Whanganui — from quality residential architecture and renovations to commercial, healthcare and community spaces.
Friday 23 October
2.00pm-3:00pm
Dalgleish Architects, Whanganui
FREE, bookings required