Canterbury Museum’s epic redevelopment journey is ticking off the milestones with more big strides ahead in the next
couple of months.
Canterbury Museum Trust Board Chair David Ayers says the $205 million redevelopment of the Rolleston Avenue buildings
will deliver a world-class twenty-first century Museum that celebrates people and place.
“The redevelopment has given us the opportunity to reimagine and redevelop not just the buildings, but the institution
itself,” he says.
“Alongside the physical redevelopment, we’ve embarked on a cultural development journey aimed at developing stronger and
deeper relationships with mana whenua and the wider communities we serve.”
The Museum has chosen a name for the redevelopment journey with the blessing of its Ōhākī o Ngā Tīpuna (iwi advisory
group), Araiteuru – Ara roa. Ara nui. Ara ake rā – A great journey. An extended journey. A revealing journey. This draws on the migration traditions of the first Pacific explorers who sailed to Aotearoa in double-hulled waka –
waka hourua. Araiteuru will also be the name of the new full-height Māori gallery at the heart of the redeveloped
Museum.
Puamiria Parata-Goodall, Kaiurungi, Ōhākī o Ngā Tīpuna says the Museum’s relationship with mana whenua and tangata
whenua have been consistent threads in the Museum’s journey. Part of this journey we are on now is the Museum accepting
and owning that at times the relationship was out of balance and under-valued.
“The new Museum gives mana whenua the chance to regain control of our cultural narrative, paving the way to integrate
cultural knowledge, tikanga and visual storytelling into the new Museum. For too long others have been interpreting and
telling our stories.”
Read more about the Museum journey at www.canterburymuseum\redevelopmentConstruction Progress
Contractors Ceres started work on the site in May 2023 – moving in as Museum staff moved out – initially stripping out
the building interiors. Demolition of the twentieth century buildings started in November 2023. The heritage buildings
will be protected throughout while the site is being redeveloped.
The 1950s Centennial Wing, which housed the Special Exhibitions Hall, and the Garden Court building – home to the blue
whale over recent years – are both gone and the 1970s Duff Wing which fronts the Christchurch Botanic Gardens has been
demolished in the last week. All of these "middle-aged" buildings were impaired by the 2010–2011 earthquakes.
Museum Tumuaki Director Anthony Wright says the Museum had originally planned to salvage and reuse the distinct exterior
panels on the Duff Wing.
“Unfortunately, when the project team and engineers were able to look at them more closely on site, they found they
weren’t actually panels, but were instead part of the structure-supporting shear wall. This meant they couldn’t be
reused.” he says.
“After a detailed review process with Christchurch City Council’s Resource Consent and Heritage teams, we’ve agreed a
replacement finish which will be in keeping with the original facade.”
Over the last 15 months, contractors Cook Brothers have strengthened the Robert McDougall Gallery above the ground. They
have reinforced the structure with steel frames and tied together sections of unreinforced masonry throughout the
building.
A temporary roof is protecting the Gallery during the works. The entire roof will eventually be replaced towards the end
of the project. While the building is still not up to the building code requirements for public use, it is ready for the
next round of strengthening works.
A joint venture of Leighs Construction and March Construction is about to start working on two key aspects of the build.
The ground floor of the Robert McDougall Gallery will be strengthened with a temporary support structure and piles so
that the building can be separated from its existing basement. The compromised old basement will be demolished and
excavated out to make way for the much larger new base-isolated basement which will house art-related collection
storerooms. This work is being funded by the building owners, Christchurch City Council.
At the same time, the Joint Venture will be installing the new basement diaphragm wall around the perimeter of the
Robert McDougall Gallery and the larger area where the twentieth century Museum buildings have been demolished. This
uses a highly specialised technique which involves excavating a narrow trench that is filled with a bentonite slurry,
temporarily supporting the soil and stopping water getting in. The trench is then filled with a reinforced concrete
barricade creating an outside wall around what will become the base-isolated Museum collection storage basement within.
This work on the underground level of the new Museum is expected to take until mid-2025. It is being funded by the
Museum’s local authority funders Christchurch City and Hurunui, Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils – together with
government contributions from the Greater Christchurch Regeneration continency funding and the Regional Culture and
Heritage Fund, and a grant from the Lottery Grants Board.
The Museum has secured more than $160 million of the $175 million needed for the construction phase of the
redevelopment. This means that the Museum can finance construction through to 2026, giving time to raise the almost $15
million needed to complete the building construction phase and the further $28 to $30 million needed for the new
exhibitions and displays. Further funding will be sourced through grants, philanthropic giving and community
fundraising.
You can check progress on site by viewing the livestream camera on the Museum website which updates every 15 minutes.
Click here to access a dropbox of recent images of the twentieth century Museum buildings and the fly through video of the new Museum.