Schooled on a musical ‘gem’

After four years of redevelopments, and many unwanted surprises, one of Nelson’s landmarks is finally open to the public.

The updated entrance of the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts marries the old with the new, showing the brick wall of the 117-year-old auditorium through glass, connecting the two buildings together.

Irving Smith architect Andrew Irving said the project had thrown the firm a lot of curveballs over the past several years, including hidden structural work and a surprise asbestos find.

‘‘We’re not heritage architects, and we’ve become experts in things we never wanted to be experts in.’’

He said the old Nelson School of Music auditorium had been ‘‘fairly damaged’’ when the firm took on the project.

‘‘It was roughly treated. The last thing in the budget at the time was maintenance.’’

The total cost had initially been budgeted at $8 million and now sat at about $9.5m.

It all started in December 2013, when the 1901-built heritage auditorium was closed due to earthquake risk.

After a nearly three-year wait, work to refurbish the auditorium and build a multimillion-dollar rehearsal and teaching facility finally started in September 2016.

It was the largest development in the 124-year history of the school, the oldest institution of its type in New Zealand.

A new recital theatre with black brick, several green rooms and backstage areas now sits on the corner of Nile St and Collingwood St, alongside the refurbished auditorium.

Irving said the auditorium was ‘‘a gem’’.