Docomomo » DOCOMOMO News

The Architectural Centre Designs a Future for the Gordon Wilson Flats and the McLean Flats

JMG — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:33:08 +0000

The Architectural Centre Inc., Wellington, has developed a design for the strengthening and refurbishment of Wellington’s Gordon Wilson Flats (1954-59), which Victoria University of Wellington has allowed to deteriorate while leaving it vacant and which it intends to demolish, just as soon as it is given consent to do so. The government’s Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Bill has been introduce to enable the demolition, by facilitating the building’s descheduling. The Architectural Centre’s design retains 80 percent of the building’s concrete structure and they calculate that it would save ca. 92 percent of the carbon compared with demolition and building anew. The retention and adaptation of existing buildings is essential in efforts to mitigate climate change, given the embodied energy contained in the existing materials combined with the carbon footprint of new replacement buildings. DOCOMOMO New Zealand commends the Architectural Centre on its initiative and joins with them in urging Victoria University to reconsider its plans.

Architect Geoff Glynan to talk about his work on the Former CIT Campus, Heretaunga

JMG — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:06:50 +0000

DOCOMOMO NZ is partnering with the University of Auckland’s Architecture and Planning History and Theory Research Hub to host a Zoom talk by architect Geoff Glynan of Architecture HDT, who led the adaptive reuse of Haughton & Mair’s CIT Campus, Heretaunga (1965-74), for the NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) (2016-25). Geoff will discuss the aims and objectives behind the project and some of the complexities encountered in producing what Heritage New Zealand magazine recently described as “one of the largest and most impressive examples of adaptive reuse in the country.”

Details: Tuesday 12 August 2025, 12.00 noon-1.00 p.m. in Zoom.

Zoom details have been circulated to members.

Demolition of Founders Theatre, Hamilton

JMG — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 02:15:28 +0000

New Zealand continues to lose recognised modern heritage buildings at the rate of about one per year. This year’s victim is the Founders Theatre, Hamilton (1961-63). It was designed by Aubrey de Lisle, of Leigh De Lisle and Fraser, and earned an NZIA Merit Award in 1964, the year in which Hamilton celebrated its centenary. It effectively functioned as the city’s town hall. Its civic value was enhanced with the installation of a Ralph Hotere mural in 1973. It closed in 2016 due to seismic concerns and was demolished in June-July 2024. It will be replaced by an outdoor gathering space. Thanks to Laura Kellaway for the photo.

Demolition of the Otago Harbour Board Building

JMG — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 20:15:49 +0000

Very sad to read in the Otago Daily Times (2 November 2023) that the Otago Harbour Board Building in Port Chalmers, designed by Mason & Wales Architects and built in 1980, is being demolished. It was notable for its abstract geometric design, clad with mirror glass – or more specifically, Reflactafloat reflective solar control glass. The cladding system was newsworthy at the time of completion, with a period newspaper recording that it was double-glazing, combining 6 mm glass with an 80 mm air gap, for sound insulation and thermal comfort. The glass also reflected the historic Port Chalmers context. The Harbour Board building earned local and national architecture awards in 1981, and a local Enduring Award for Architecture in 2021.

Photo courtesy of Mason & Wales Architects.

What a waste.

DOCOMOMO NZ AGM: 21 November 2023

JMG — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 21:11:23 +0000

Join us at 4 p.m. on Tuesday 21 November for the 2023 AGM of DOCOMOMO New Zealand. The meeting will be held in Zoom to ensure that everyone can attend. The Zoom link has been circulated to members and interested others.