Over the last couple of weeks, the steel that will be used to connect the 104-year-old heritage-listed gallery to the new Pātaka o Sir Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa wing has arrived on site and construction is now under way on the link building that brings old and new together.
Watching this milestone unfold, with the joining of the two buildings literally taking place before our eyes, the gallery’s relationship manager Jaki Arthur described it as an emotional moment, saying “Whanganui’s house of inspiration is really taking shape now”.
“The gallery created by Henry Sarjeant’s extraordinary gift, left to the city in 1912, is now in the hands of its 21st century guardians,” she said.
“Together we are strengthening and restoring the nationally recognised gallery, and building the new wing Te Pātaka o Sir Te Atawhai Archie John Taiaroa to take the Sarjeant into the future for the next generations to enjoy. By doing so we honour Sir Archie Taiaroa who said ‘our responsibilities are beyond our lifetimes and those of our children’.”
The link structure will create a new entryway into the Sarjeant Gallery on the ground floor and will also feature a waka airbridge connecting the upper floors of both buildings. The waka underpinning the bridge will be manufactured by a specialist boatbuilder and transferred to Whanganui where the cultural expression will be applied – this will be the responsibility of Te Rūnanga o Tūpoho as Mana Whenua.
