King Tuheitia was presiding over the opening of a new marae at Waikato Institute of Technology.
Te Kopu Mania o Kirikiriroa was being opened at a dawn ceremony at the Hamilton city campus on Monday.
Wintec says the $2.25 million marae will be a spiritual home for Maori and other cultures.
It features a meeting house and a wharekai - a dining room and kitchen.
Wintec chief executive Mark Flowers says the marae will be used to showcase Maori culture to its many international visitors.
It features contemporary carvings by Tainui master carver Warren McGrath, a former student at the institute.
