School of music project all go
The two-year wait for construction on the Nelson School of Music revamp is finally over.
In December 2013 the historic auditorium was abruptly closed when an assessment saw it classified as an earthquake prone building. The closure brought forward planned strengthening work and signalled the start of a multimillion dollar fundraising effort.
The community has played a big part in that effort to restore the 115-year-old building, helping raise between $800-900,000 of the $6.4 million redevelopment budget.
Yesterday, Nelson School of Music Trust and Coman Construction signed the contract to begin work next month. The revamp will involve; earthquake strengthening of the existing auditorium, tiered seating rows at the rear of the auditorium to fit a crowd of 301 people, as well as other comfortable seating throughout the venue and improved heating and cooling systems.
Nelson School of Music Trust chairman Roger Taylor said the preservation of the venue’s ‘‘brilliant’’ acoustics in the auditorium were a main priority. He said the organ had been removed and placed into storage.
‘‘In terms of a facility it has [left a gap] not having a hall,’’ he said. ‘‘Everybody’s been anxious to get together and get it going again.’’
Taylor expected the project to take about 12 months to complete.
The revamp will also modernise lighting and sound systems, upgrade the entrance, foyer and ticket booth as well as toilet facilities in the Beatrice Kidson building.
Coman Construction expect a team of up to 30 workers to be on site at peak periods of construction.
Workers will build stage-level access at the rear of the building and a full-size orchestral rehearsal room, studios and green rooms, a library, classrooms, a remote learning/keyboard lab and an environmentally controlled storage room for the Steinway piano on the old Rainey House site at the rear of the school.
The Nelson School of Music, which opened in 1901, is the oldest institution of its type in New Zealand.