Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatū in Nelson re-opened its doors today after an 18-month rebuild and refurbishment.
The welcome party at the Suter gallery's reopening. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
A lead architect involved in the re-design of the gallery said it was one of the most complex jobs he had ever tackled, but the team was proud of the result and the level of public support that had allowed it to happen.
The 1899 heritage building in central Nelson is one of the country's oldest public art galleries, and contains nationally significant art works.
The director of Nelson firm Jerram Tocker Barron Architects, Marc Barron, said several elements made the project extremely complicated, including fire protection, renovating an existing building that contained a mix of heritage values, the complexity of the site - it was very tight - and the need for a seismic upgrade of the gallery.
Mr Barron said they approached the consenting process with "some trepidation", after an earlier project failed to launch.
"The Suter had gone down that route before, had spent a lot of money and got a negative reaction from the public, but we did a lot of consultation, had the benefit of knowing what the issues might be, and designed accordingly.
"In the end it was surprisingly straightforward and we're proud of the fact it got so much support," Mr Barron said.
He said another aspect that made the project challenging was its proximity to heritage trees, and the need to work around their roots to avoid any possibility of harm.
"In essence we had to make it an invisible upgrade," Mr Barron said.
Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatū Photo: RNZ/Tracy Neal
Rodney Sampson of the international architectural firm Warren and Mahoney said it was "what you don't see in that space that is the innovation".
Warren and Mahoney architects partnered with the Nelson architectural firm to deliver what it described as an 'international calibre' arts facility to the Nelson region.
Rodney Sampson's fellow principal, Ralph Roberts, said the project connected two buildings that were 100 years apart in time, while presenting a strong architectural solution that stood on its own merit. He said it was a great opportunity to develop a modern gallery within a heritage context set in a "delightful park" - Nelson's Victorian-era Queens Gardens.
Mr Roberts said a comprehensive assessment of the existing building was done before design work began.
"Community engagement was vital to the success of the upgrade and the architects consulted with stakeholders including the Queens Gardens Preservation Society, iwi representatives and the Urban Design Panel.
"The resulting development is sensitive to the New Zealand Heritage Places Trust Category II listed building, connects to its immediate environment, and has strong cultural engagement."
Mr Roberts said a key design strategy was to make a central focus of the public entrance and allow the forecourt to give recognition to the old gallery. A new foyer and internal walkway now linked the two existing structures, both of which contain a series of galleries, retail spaces and a café overlooking the freshwater eel pond and the gardens.
The foyer of Nelson's Suter art gallery, which has reopened after a $12m refit. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
The new foyer featured seven totara columns to represent iwi groups within the region. Nelson artist Robin Slow interpreted the ideas put forward by each iwi, and then sandblasted the designs in deep relief into each column.
Mr Roberts said there were some interesting innovations, such as the contractor's solution for installing new foundations.
"The original timber floor was released and lifted to the ceiling - and then repositioned. Not a single floorboard was removed."
He said larger and better proportioned exhibition rooms were designed for the region's collection as well as for the display of national and international collections.
Mr Barron said the gallery now had a humidity controlled storage vault and proper curatorial areas, and a dedicated education room for school visits and the regular evening art classes run by the Nelson Suter Art Society.
"I think it's a fantastic achievement to get the building done, not just the design team, but way before we started with the moves made to do the upgrade. It's been a huge effort by board, the (gallery) director, the fundraising team, the council which got it moving, and the construction team," Mr Barron said.
Chair of the Suter trust board, Craig Potton, said it was a project of its time, which happened at the right time.
