Wharenui
The main building of a marae in Aotearoa - New Zealand. Manuhiri (visitors) are often formally welcomed in front of the wharenui. Inside, the wharenui is used for koreoro to discuss issues or for teaching and at night it is where manuhiri sleep.
Following the death of a member of the hapu or whanau, the body is often laid on a bier (in the large front porch beside the doorway) for the tangi, until the day of burial.
A marae belongs to a hapū or whānau. In large urban areas a modern marae have been built for non-tribal (pan-Maori) groups, including schools and tertiary institutions.
Most wharenui are decorated with carvings, rafter paintings and tukutuku panels: these might follow styles and colours from long ago or follow emerging styles and colours.
An example of a wharenui: