Auckland Town Hall
Auckland Town Hall | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Civic |
Architectural style | Italian Renaissance Revival |
Location | Auckland CBD |
Address | 305 Queen Street, Auckland, New Zealand |
Construction started | 1909 |
Inaugurated | 14 December 1911 |
Renovated | 1994-97 |
Cost | £126,000 |
Renovation cost | $32.8 million |
Owner | Auckland Council |
Height | 45 m (148 ft) |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | J Clark and Sons |
Renovating team | |
Structural engineer | Sinclair Knight Merz |
Civil engineer | Downer Group |
Other information | |
Seating capacity | 1,529 (Great Hall) 431 (Concert Chamber) |
Designated | 27 July 1988 |
Reference no. | 549 |
Auckland Town Hall is an
History
Building
Since as early as 1872, there were plans to create a town hall for the city of Auckland.[1] The corner of Greys Avenue and Queen Street was chosen as the location in 1880, and the corner was requisitioned by a formal act of parliament, the Auckland Reserves Exchange and Change of Trust Act 1881. The area proved to be too small, so the municipal government purchased the adjoining properties in 1883.[2] A design competition for the building was held in 1908, which was won by Melbourne-based architects JJ & EJ Clark.[1][2]
Construction began after the foundation stone was laid by mayor
Auckland residents had mixed opinions of the building after it was constructed, with some likening it to a cheese wedge or a flat iron.[1]
The exterior is constructed of two types of stone; the ground floor is made of a dark volcanic basalt, heavily rusticated, which contrasts with the pale stonework of the upper storeys.
The interior contains several varieties of English ceramic surfaces – tessellated floors and glazed ceramic wall tiles. The semi-circular Council Chamber is fitted with wood panelling and
The Town Hall's interior was extensively restored from 1994–1997 at a cost of NZ$33 million, partially because the unreinforced masonry structure did not meet earthquake standards. Australian engineering firm Sinclair Knight Merz pioneered various techniques to reinforce the structure without substantially changing the heritage character of the building.[4]
In 2007, the exterior underwent additional restoration work. A number of ornamental details on the exterior had been removed in the 1950s due to earthquake concerns, and some of the Oamaru limestone was damaged during aggressive stone cleaning. After careful research and analysis, these were replaced by limestone sourced from the same levels of the North Otago quarry that provided the original stone. Interior acoustic performance was corrected by the removal of earlier ill-judged and obtrusive intervention measures and their replacement by less-visible and more effective treatments. Interior paintwork was restored throughout to the original Edwardian-era colours. Complex fragmented porcelain and glazed ceramic tiling was restored with exact, new purpose-made replicas in the lavish main entrance foyer. The original carpet was recreated (for reference, a small portion of the original was left in one corner of the Council Chamber). The stained glass windows were restored and (where necessary), rebuilt and the entire building was unobtrusively fire protected.[citation needed]
Town Hall Organ
The Town Hall Organ, dating from 1911, is the largest musical instrument in the country,[5] and is itself a 'Protected Object' in New Zealand law. It was funded by former mayor of Auckland Henry Brett, designed by English organist Edwin Lemare and constructed by Norwich pipe organ manufacturer Norman and Beard.[2]
It was extensively remodelled in 1969–1970 when the organ reform movement reached New Zealand, significantly altering and reducing its original Romantic-era power, discarding many parts of the original, and adding new ones to produce a then-fashionable Baroque sound.[citation needed] The resulting compromised instrument was dismantled in January 2008 for restoration and rebuilding. The rebuilt organ, incorporating remaining parts of the 1911 original, some recently recovered components, and new elements, was built by Orgelbau Klais of Bonn, Germany. It returned to the Great Hall at the end of 2008, and was reassembled as the country's largest (and once again most powerful), organ.[6]
Auckland City had committed itself to providing NZ$3 million to the restoration project, with a $500,000 remainder obtained via private fundraising. The restored organ was officially unveiled on 21 March 2010, with a specially commissioned symphony.
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra
In early February 2016, the administration staff of New Zealand's largest metropolitan orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia, moved into the vacant former mayoral office suite, making Auckland Town Hall, where the orchestra largely performs, its new home.[7]
References
- ^ Wikidata Q116870435.
- ^ Wikidata Q122759154
- ^ "Inflation calculator". Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- IPENZ)
- ^ "Restored Auckland Town hall organ ready to sing". CityScene. Auckland City Council. 7 March 2010. p. 1.
- ^ "Town hall organ tries its pipes". Stuff. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^ New Zealand Herald. "New Town Hall base for city's orchestra". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
External links
Media related to Auckland Town Hall at Wikimedia Commons
- Auckland Town Hall (official website)
- "Auckland Town Hall". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand.
- Photographs of Auckland Town Hall held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.