The detailed design for Invercargill’s new Te Unua Museum of Southland has been revealed, showcasing an impressive and contemporary facility that will stand the test of time to house and celebrate the stories of Southland.

Te Unua Museum of Southland is part of Invercargill City Council’s Project 1225, which will see the demolition and rebuild of the city and region’s museum.

The project has also included museum storage facility Te Pātaka Taoka Southern Regional Collections Facility, completed in December 2023, and the new tuatara enclosure in Queens Park, Te Moutere Tuatara Island, which was completed and opened in June this year.

Programme Director Lee Butcher said the design team for Te Unua last year delivered a concept of what our new museum could look like, and now ECI contractor Naylor Love, alongside Architectus, have taken the initial concept forward to create a detailed design.

“The design we saw previously gave us a real taste of what our new museum could look like, but this updated and detailed design really gives us the plans for a structure that we can realistically bring to life with focus on buildability and cost certainty, while still creating a stunning and modern new facility,” he said.

“The updated designs reveal enhancements to the original concepts plus new design elements of this exciting new development for Southland.”

Butcher said enhancements included a larger education space and first-floor terrace, additional shelter on the outdoor terrace and more office and meeting spaces. The design of the cafe now had more indoor-outdoor connection and shifted the kitchen alongside the café to provide better operational use of the overall space.

Te Unua Museum of Southland Director Eloise Wallace said the design showed a contemporary facility set to revitalise Invercargill's cultural offering and provide a world class museum experience for locals and tourists.

“The developed design is one that we can see Southlanders really connecting with, it fits beautifully into the landscape of Queens Park and is the modern, revitalised and impressive facility we set out to create.”

In a full Council meeting on Tuesday, Councillors were presented with an update on the building design and budget.

Butcher said that the building design and construction details and costings were finalised in July and several challenges were putting pressure on the budget, including building cost inflation, and lingering post-Covid impacts, such as resourcing, cost of living and supply chain issues.

“While every effort has been made to test the budget and build options, it is unlikely the current budget could have met the requirements for the new museum.”

Councillors were given a range of options for consideration to address the budget shortfall and resolved to undertake public consultation to determine the level of budget increase that is appropriate for the project.

The options included possible cost increases in the range of $12.8 million to $7.8 million in relation to the build with a reduction in some elements, such as the Green Star building certification and the car park, or pausing the project to review the scope.

The options also noted an external funding gap of $6.6 million that the Council would have to underwrite if further external funding could not be secured.

Project 1225 Lead Councillor Grant Dermody said elected members had been given a strong direction from the community that the museum was a top priority.

“We know the community want the best possible option for a future-proofed museum, and we are committed to delivering that, but now is the time for us to check in again and hear the community’s thoughts on these important items and their associated costs.”

Details on the consultation, including options and ways to share feedback, will be shared in the coming days.

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