Auckland Art Gallery’s 1887 French Renaissance-style building has been unwrapped in time for the summer holidays.
After years of being hidden behind shrink wrap and a maze of scaffolding for a major restoration, it’s really exciting to see the building in all its glory, gallery head curator Dr Sarah Farrar says.
“We’ve been able to put care, love and attention into the exterior of the heritage building and it’s looking amazing.
“I’m thrilled with the timing. It will align with everything that is happening next year; Auckland has been under construction in recent years and everyone is ready to see the city come alive again,” Farrar said.
The project, costing $29.9 million, has been underway for four years and involved replacing the slate roof with a like-for-like and restoring the facade and clock tower.
It also marks the completion of the gallery’s redevelopment, a project underway since the mid-2000s.
The gallery’s modern extension, opened in 2011, features an atrium entrance framed by striking kauri canopies that span the forecourt and gallery spaces while respecting the heritage building. However, funding challenges during the global financial crisis delayed the full restoration of the 1887 wing.
Brent Withers, of heritage specialists Dave Pearson Architects, said it was important to identify the original heritage features of the 138-year-old building and what to keep, what to change and what was missing.
Key restoration work included replacing the steep-pitched roof with 40,000 slate tiles, installing new copper and lead flashings, and adding a ventilated roof cavity to meet modern standards. The original ventilation towers above the Wellesley St gable were reinstated, the clock face restored with horologists’ expertise, and about 140 kauri windows refurbished.
Withers said one of the project’s highlights was locally based Macmillan Slaters & Tilers confirming the slate as Heather Blue from Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales, a site in operation since the 1500s, and commercially since the 1700s.
“We sourced the slate to replace the slate that was laid in 1887 with the exact same Heather Blue,” he said.
Caroline Bartlett, associate director of Ignite Architects, which has also worked on the project, said another highlight was discovering the original outline of the building text in Kitchener St that had been removed at some stage.
With the aid of heritage photography, she said, the original inscriptions, ART GALLERY, MUNICIPAL BUILDING and LIBRARY, were recreated. Because the building now serves solely as a gallery, the ART GALLERY wording has been given prominence.
Old layers of bitumen were also removed, damaged plaster was repaired and the exterior was recoated in a lighter, brighter colour closer to the original appearance.
Withers said one of the things that made the art gallery stand out was that, like the Civic Theatre and Auckland Town Hall, it was still being used for the purpose it was built.
“That makes its heritage status [Category A] more important,” he said.
The project was overseen by council agency Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU). Property general manager Paul Tyler said after a lot of unknowns and risks, it had “gone way better than we could have hoped.”
He said bringing the structure up to code created a modern system shrouded in an old facade.
“It was extremely challenging, but nothing derailed it and we have managed to come in $1.5m under budget and pretty much on time,” he said.
An early estimate of $10m-$12m in 2021 rose to $31.4m as extra works were added, with the final cost expected to be $29.9m. Most of the funding came from ratepayers, supplemented by an $800,000 Lotteries Heritage Grant.
Tyler said the final stage was reinstating appropriate lighting after the old system failed, ensuring the building could be properly showcased. “It looks absolutely stunning,” he said.
Farrar said Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki was a leading cultural institution and having the entire gallery open for the public to see and enjoy was terrific.
During the summer, she said, the gallery had a lively programme of exhibitions and events, including Pop to Present, featuring iconic American art since 1945 from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and an interactive, family-friendly installation with imaginative creatures and fantastical landscapes called Artland.
“Please come along. There’s lots to see and do,” Farrar said.