Pupils, parents and supporters took part in an opening ceremony at the school at 2pm yesterday.
The new building, which has a footprint of about 500sq m, is called Te Manawanui ("Big Heart") and is expected to cost between $900,000 and $1 million, including equipment costs.
School principal Richard Newton said in an interview the building's name and functions reflected a sense of close connections, between classrooms and the shared learning space, between pupils of different ages and their teachers, and between the school and the wider St Clair community.
Mr Newton acknowledged the Ministry of Education's funding support, and additional funds provided by the Community Trust of Otago and the school's Parent Teacher Association.
He also praised high-quality finishing work by construction contractor Stevenson and Williams and the vision of architect Philip Gilchrist.
After almost two years of planning and construction, the school and community had acquired a "wonderful resource", which would serve its children and their learning well, he said.
In opening the building, board chairwoman Dr Rachael McLean praised Mr Newton's "vision of a different approach to building a new kind of learning space" and his efforts to produce "this fantastic new building".
The new shared space would enable large and small groups of children from different classrooms and age-groups to work together on projects, presentations and performances, she said.
