Rotorua Museum reopening delayed by three years
hopefully, there won’t be any more.”
Asked about the new issues, Rotorua Lakes Council operational group manager Jocelyn Mikaere said as the design reached “the most complex atrium area, the challenge of strengthening a heritage building sited on geothermal ground resulted in buildability and risk questions”.
“It is prudent to assess alternatives now versus continuing without adequate risk mitigations in place.”
Additional expertise has been brought in to help resolve issues that surfaced during the pre-construction phase and needed further investigation and advice about structural solutions for the building.
“It’s important that we have the best information to get the right solution for the complexities we are dealing with, such as 1908 unreinforced pumice masonry structures, a very heavy roof and challenging geothermal ground conditions,” Mikaere said.
Mikaere said key stakeholders, including funders, had been kept informed.
A detailed seismic assessment of the museum building the year after the earthquake showed it met just 15 per cent of New Zealand’s earthquake safety standards. Buildings at 33 per cent or below are considered earthquake-prone.
The location
on
geothermal ground also contributed to the rebuild being considered as one of the most challenging and complex strengthening projects happening in New Zealand, the council’s release said.
In response to a Rotorua Daily Post reader who asked on Facebook what the director of the museum — Lizzie Marvelly, appointed last year — would be doing until the museum reopened, the Rotorua Museum page replied that she and her team will be working on extensive community engagement, conservation and design programmes.
All museum exhibitions would need to be redesigned and reinstalled and other offerings — education and public programmes, outside the walls daily tours, retail, hospitality — needed redevelopment.
Manatu¯ Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage deputy chief executive delivery Tamsin Evans said the ministry had been kept informed of the challenges with the
exhibition building but was not involved in the delay decision.
Mayor Steve Chadwick said: “Our iconic museum is much loved by both our local community and visitors and we all want to see it reopened as quickly as possible, but will have to remain patient as these complexities are worked through.
“We’ve always said it was a complex building and that it wasn’t going to be a simple project. We knew we would need to take the time and care necessary to restore it.”
Once the geothermal and structural investigations are done, the council expected to host several update events to inform the community on the progress of the project.