Forrester Gallery extension gets the go-ahead
Published on 02 September 2024
The Forrester Gallery extension design and procurement plan was approved at the recent meeting of the Waitaki District Council, with the tender going out to market next week.
Renders show the extension of 780m² at the rear of the current gallery, connecting on all three floors by an atrium. The plans show a new climate controlled collection store, a large main gallery and increased education space on the first floor, as well as a new lift to allow for easy access upstairs.
The proposal for an extension first began thirty years ago, just over ten years after the gallery was opened. Successive Directors and Curators, as well as the Friends of the Forrester Gallery and other groups, advocated for an expansion of both gallery and storage space to ensure the preservation and display of the collection, as well as ensuring accessibility in the 19th century building.
Waitaki District Council has long-supported the extension, and in 2019 approved the expansion on the condition that external funding was sought for the project.
In 2023, during it’s 40th year of operation the Gallery received a welcome birthday present of $6.5 million from the Government’s Regional Culture and Heritage Fund. The Regional Culture and Heritage Fund was a contestable fund to help communities meet fundraising shortfalls for capital construction projects.
This brought the total funds raised to around $7.3 million dollars. This included contributions from the Friends of the Forrester Gallery, bequests and anonymous donors who wish to support the project.
Director of the Forrester Gallery, Chloe Searle, says: “We are pleased with the support Councillors have shown to this extension, a project that has been three decades in the making. That we are heading towards construction in 2025 is a testament to the hard work of my predecessors, and the many people in the community who support the Forrester Gallery”
Mayor Gary Kircher says: “This extension has been planned for the past fifteen years or more and will provide several important features such as access to the whole building for everyone, and a fantastic education space for our young people. It has been an awesome achievement to be able to see this project get to this stage, with minimal funding from ratepayers thanks to the external funds raised!”
The next stage will involve procurement, and building consent, with the focus on ensuring the project remains within its available budget to ensure the community receive the best value for the extension to the Forrester Gallery. Waitaki District Council would like to thank Tilt Architecture Ltd. for their work on the exterior design and Designtech Architectural Ltd. for their work on the interior design.