Ākau Tangi Sports Centre is Wellington City Council's indoor sport and recreation facility at 72 Kemp Street, Kilbirnie. It opened in 2011 under naming rights sponsorship as the ASB Sports Centre; when that sponsorship expired in August 2021 and was not renewed, the Council launched the enduring name Ākau Tangi on 20 November 2022. The name combines *te ākau*, the coast, and *tangi*, to make sound or cry out, referring to the sound and energy of wind and waves along the nearby coastline.
The centre covers 12,500 square metres, including 10,700 square metres of sprung sports flooring designed to support athletes moving across it. The floor is divided into two six-court sports halls separated by a central spine running through both the ground floor and the mezzanine levels, giving 12 court spaces in total. Courts are configurable for a range of indoor sports and recreation activities and can be hired on a one-off or recurring basis. A court layout plan is published by the Council.
Court equipment such as goals is included in the hire; balls and bibs are hired separately. Courts can also be equipped with an electronic scoreboard system, team benches, fixed seating for 1,000 people, and retractable seating for up to 2,000 spectators, available on request. That retractable seating capacity is the key number for event promoters: it makes the halls viable for tournaments, competition finals, large-scale exhibitions and spectator events, not just club play.
There are three meeting rooms, which the Council describes as a modern venue for meetings, workshops and seminars.
| Room | Theatre | Classroom | U-shape | Boardroom | Size | Cost per hour | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Mātairangi | 204 | 72 | 45 | 38 | 380 m² | $53.50 | | Ngake | 30 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 43 m² | $28 | | Whātaitai | 30 | 18 | 20 | 14 | 50 m² | $28 | | Ngake/Whātaitai combined | 72 | 42 | 38 | 34 | 93 m² | $53.50 |
The Mātairangi Room sits above the entrance foyer, opens onto the mezzanine with viewing access to both sports halls, and has an alcove usable for catering or workshop space plus good natural light. Ngake, off the first-floor mezzanine, has a wall-mounted whiteboard and views of Evans Bay. Whātaitai adjoins it and has a fixed presentation screen; connecting doors allow the two to be combined. Hourly rates include tables and chairs; projectors, whiteboards and speakers are hired separately. Floor plans are published.
Catering is provided exclusively by Oat Café, the on-site cafe, which seats up to 100 people and can also cater for functions within the centre. There are 317 free on-site car parks, including 12 accessible parks. The building is described as fully accessible, with two wheelchair ramps, two lifts, and 15 accessible showers and toilets. Other facilities include four changing rooms with showers, toilets and ice baths, two sports control rooms, a first aid area, an outdoor half court, an outdoor running track and free Wi-Fi.
Opening hours are 6.00am to 10.00pm Monday to Friday and 7.00am to 10.00pm at weekends, though the centre may close as early as 9.00pm depending on bookings. Several bus routes stop on Rongotai Road at Troy or Salek streets, about five minutes' walk away, and a real-time bus arrivals screen is installed in reception. The Kilbirnie site is close to Wellington Airport.
Ākau Tangi is one of the larger flat-floor indoor spaces available for hire in Wellington. The scale of the sports halls, the retractable spectator seating, 317 free car parks, full accessibility and the airport-adjacent location make it well suited to sporting tournaments, trade shows, exhibitions, community expos and large-format events. The 204-seat Mātairangi Room and the smaller Ngake and Whātaitai rooms add conference, seminar and break-out capacity on the same site, with catering handled in-house by Oat Café. Bookings are made through the Council's request form.
Capacity
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