Student Centre, Manawatū campus

In 1943, an architect was commissioned to create plans for a student building at Massey Agricultural College. Those original plans called for an extremely large building, containing a gymnasium that could also be used as an assembly hall or theatre and other recreational facilities like squash courts and a shooting range. The building would also provide meeting space and offices for use by students and the Student Association, and a cafeteria for use by hostel students. The plans were drawn up and submitted to the College Council in 1946, along with a memorandum outlining the policy of the Association's executive over the matter of the Union Building, but nothing was done.

The first real start on what was then known as the Student Union Building (later to be renamed the Student Centre) was in 1955, when K.A. Rose, President of the Student Association at that time, resubmitted the architect's plans and memorandum from 1946 to the College Council. This time, the Council proved to be extremely supportive, allowing Mr Rose to form a committee to look at and develop plans for the new Student Union Building. However, after Mr Rose left the Association, interest in raising funds for the building slowly declined as the new Executive was distracted by other matters.

In the early 1960s, a group of enthusiastic individuals attempted to restart fundraising for the building by selling bricks as lottery tickets to industries, farmers and past members of the university. The idea was not entirely successful, but did raise awareness of the issue, with more students pitching in to help with fundraising. By 1963 the Student Association had started to catch up with the required building costs, with a little help from the Palmerston North City Council.

The architect commissioned to design the Student Centre was Miles Warren of the Christchurch firm, Warren and Mahoney. It was not until 1966 that construction of the building began.

The first stage of construction was to include an entrance foyer containing the reception, cloakroom and notice board of the Student Association, plus a canteen. At the time, Massey University was also constructing the library and several other buildings. The Student Association decided to use what money it had saved over the years so the Student Building could be built at the same time, thereby saving some costs on construction. The building was finally completed in 1969, 26 years after the original idea was suggested and 14 years after real action had started on it.

The building was later given to Massey University, although the Massey University Students Association (MUSA) remains as a tenant.