Chapel of Futuna, Karori, Wellington

Chapel of Futuna, Karori, Wellington

John Scott’s 1959 design for the Chapel of Futuna combines many of the structural elements of the Māori meeting house – including a central pole, rib-like rafters and low eaves – with the traditional features of a church. Considered a masterpiece of international significance, the chapel was under threat when it was sold with the surrounding land and buildings to a developer in 2000. Now, however, there are moves to protect it in the Wellington City Council’s district plan.