COMMENT
A stunning walk bridge appearing as a carved waka, will connect the gallery level of the Sarjeant’s new wing Te Pātaka o Sir Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa to the iconic heritage building.
The walk bridge will stretch across the glass and steel atrium at the original rear of the Sarjeant Gallery which will become the entrance of the redeveloped gallery when it opens in mid-2024.
Visitors will be able to experience the waka floating above the subtly patterned floors of the glass atrium. People will be able to walk across it, under it, and around it.
The waka is one of the most significant cultural elements in the Sarjeant Gallery’s interior and will literally and metaphorically connect the two buildings.
The bridge itself is made of plates of cut and welded steel, prefabricated and installed by Whanganui business NZ Structural and Engineering.
Owners Jared Davis and Mat Gaudin formed their company in 2020 and were thrilled when the Sarjeant’s principal contractor McMillan & Lockwood Central asked them to step in after the project’s initial steel contractor unexpectedly went into liquidation in April this year.
Davis and the NZ Structural and Engineering team fabricated the bridge at their Castlecliff workshop, and Gaudin is responsible for the staged installation of the bridge on site.
“It was amazing to get this opportunity. It pretty much happened at exactly the right time for us. We have been in business for just two years and we’re already doing big stuff like this. It’s just blowing us away. We are so proud and happy to be a part of this project.” Gaudin said.
“It’s not just a straight bridge; it’s got big rolled beams that curve around the outside and underneath. Then we’ve got angled plates coming off the bottom like outrigger pieces that are going to hold the carved timber to the underside. There’s quite a bit that goes on here,” Davis said.
The air bridge will be 9.3m long by 2.7m wide and will weigh 4.2 tonnes.
Davis and Gaudin have also fabricated stairs which will reach from the ground level to the waka air bridge.
Once installation is complete, a specialist boat builder will arrive on site to construct a curved shape in totara on the underside of the bridge. The panels of totara will be carved by a team of carvers led by locally appointed Te Kahui Toi, appointed by Te Raunanga o Tupoho as Mana Whenua.
The steel work for the bridge is not the first piece of work the local company has performed for the Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment project. NZ Structural and Engineering has been involved with the onsite welding during the process of earthquake strengthening the original, heritage-listed building.
“We will definitely go back and see what it’s like when it’s finished. We’ve been down there when there were no floors at all. They’ve dug right down to the foundations of the gallery to strengthen it and make certain it’s a safe building. It was a huge job. The place is now strong and safe.” Gaudin said.
He remembers trips to the Gallery when at school and they both think the redeveloped gallery will add to the beauty and appeal of Whanganui.
More than 77 per cent of the cost of the Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment has been met by central government, grants and the generosity of private donors. Fundraising for the project is ongoing.
The redeveloped Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui will open in mid-2024.