Heritage awards finalists come from throughout Canterbury

Thursday, 3 June 2021

The Covid-delayed 2020 Canterbury Heritage Awards will take place on June 11. In this second focus on the finalists, Fiona Wykes​, of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, and historian Anna Crighton​ highlight five more contenders.

Following the widespread damage caused by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, the Christchurch Heritage Awards Charitable Trust broadened the awards to encompass all of Canterbury.

This geographical spread meant that for the 2021 awards, such entries as the Sacred Heart Basilica in Timaru, together with the Balmoral Forest Fire Lookout in Hurunui, and the Rakaia Gorge No 1 Bridge in Selwyn were eligible.

Last week the first of two articles covered the categories of Heritage Tourism, Domestic Saved and Restored Heritage, and Outstanding Contribution to Heritage. Highlighted in this second article are five finalists from the other three categories: Future Heritage, the Seismic Award and Public Realm Saved and Restored Heritage.

Two of the finalists in the last category are The Pumphouse (more formally known as the Former No. 1 Pumping Station) on Tuam St, Christchurch and Majestic on Durham, a project for the Majestic Church of Christchurch.

Damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes, the Pumphouse project faced unique challenges. The unavailability of any plans and a building layout that had expanded freely over time did not help.

The increased use of the pump station in the early 1900s meant that eventually, the owners were in reality dealing with five interconnected buildings, not a single building. Constrained by both budget and consideration of the buildings’ future use, owners Paddy and Jackie Snowdon brought CGW Consulting Engineers on board early to help them strengthen and restore the complex.

The Pumphouse was originally built as an engineering solution to address Christchurch’s inadequate 19th century sewage and drainage problems. It became fully operational in 1882 and continued to expand over time, until finally ceasing operation in 1957, after which the site was used as a maintenance depot by the Drainage Board until the 1980s. The building then became a salvage yard.

Surveying and assessing the building was a challenge given the buildings were used for the bulk storage of salvage material. Constructed of brick and Oamaru stone, with distinctively arched windows and doors, and multi-paned steel windows, the owners stated that it was a “great relief that the structures came through the Canterbury earthquakes still standing when so many similar buildings were lost”.

Notwithstanding the considerable challenges the owners faced, including no insurance, a 12.5 metre façade to be secured, and a set of buildings at less than 34 per cent of required strengthening code, a carefully considered engineering solution was found. The judges’ assessment was that it exemplified “strengthening and restoration to a high level, enabling the longevity of an important utilitarian structure with links back to the European settlement of Christchurch”.

In contrast, the Majestic on Durham project for the Majestic Church of Christchurch involved the transformation of a group of industrial and warehouse buildings to provide the church with a diverse and wide range of multi-purpose spaces to undertake their activities and to provide a vibrant and inviting new home for the church.

The existing industrial sheds were previously used for machinery fabrication, and as well as requiring earthquake strengthening, they needed decontamination before being repurposed. The architects, Sheppard & Rout, were required to meet the client brief to design the complex for public use, thus enhancing relationships with the community.

While retaining existing buildings of value and creating new spaces, existing buildings were strengthened with steel columns to support concrete and brick structures. New concrete slabs brought the floors above floodplain levels. The existing warehouse elements are retained, including trusses, some timber roof sarking, brickwork and concrete elements.

The repurposing of the spaces has been carefully considered in order to meet the client brief, while retaining the industrial and warehouse heritage elements of the buildings. Carefully considered landscaping and night-time lighting, aligned with the new façade of the chapel, aesthetically tie the buildings together along the principal Durham St facades.

The other finalists in the Public Realm Saved and Restored category are the Balmoral Fire Lookout, Hawarden; the corner shop, Kilmore and Barbadoes streets, Christchurch; Historic Rose Chapel, Christchurch; The School of Art at the Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Christchurch; and The Nurses’ Memorial Chapel, Christchurch.

A finalist in the Seismic category of this year’s heritage awards is the Sacred Heart Basilica, Timaru, designed by renowned architect Francis Petre.

Petre also designed the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch (demolished 2021), St Joseph’s Cathedral in Dunedin and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington. The foundation stone for the Sacred Heart Basilica was laid in 1910 and construction was completed in 1911.

The church is a very significant feature of the Timaru skyline, with its twin towers and striking cupola, and is among the most noteworthy examples of ecclesiastical architecture in the country.

The judges were “impressed with the carefully engineered, unobtrusive structural solution adopted for this iconic building”. Consultants WSP NZ Ltd were careful to maintain the building’s original form and heritage fabric where possible. Strengthening works are hidden from view from within the interior of the main building by utilising the roof spaces for strengthening of the walls and gable ends, while the North and South Bell Towers were strengthened from within the towers themselves using steel braced frames.

Innovative technology in the form of 3D scanning, modelling and non-linear time history analysis combined to tune the structure to meet the level of strengthening required by the client. This work has been successfully undertaken to protect the building as a significant part of the cultural heritage of Timaru.

Equally complex, but very different, is another finalist in the Seismic category, the Rakaia Gorge No. 1 Bridge. Listed by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga as a Category 1 Historic Place, the structural form of this bridge is considered by the Engineering New Zealand Heritage Board to be internationally unique. Given its position as a key bridge on the New Zealand State Highway network, the decision to repair it without losing any heritage value was a complicated undertaking.

The bridge was constructed between 1880 and 1882. The 57 metre structure is known as a Bollman Truss bridge, following a design patented by a US railway engineer in 1852. The design comprises a girder supported by vertical posts which are in turn supported by a series of diagonal ties, resulting in a series of non-symmetrical trussed beams of iron jointed to vertical members by hinged pins to facilitate construction. When investigated for strengthening works, the majority of the bridge’s components were identified as having exceptional heritage value, including the timber transoms and deck, the timber balustrades, the trusses, girders, original bracing elements and the concrete abutments and parapet walls. Naturally this led to some difficult decisions when deciding how best to repair the bridge.

Deterioration of the fabric required complete restoration. The consultants, WSP NZ Ltd, worked closely with the conservation architect to design the proposed work to mitigate negative impact on the heritage fabric. In the end it was decided to sacrifice the heritage timber deck in order to retain the values of the unique wrought iron truss and preserve the long-term function of the bridge. Engineered timber was used to create a new deck with new steel transoms that had spliced timber ends made from salvaged timber from the original transoms. A major success of this decision was the ability to create this alternative deck option without changing the unique and exceptional appearance of the bridge.

WSP NZ Ltd noted that it considered the project team had successfully balanced the seismic requirements of the bridge whilst respecting the heritage values and following conservation best-practice principles. They are justifiably proud of the result. The project has given a new lease of life and resilience to this unique heritage bridge and preserved its exceptional landmark value. Having been in use for 140 years, it can now continue for another 140!

The other finalists in the Seismic category are the Christchurch Town Hall; Muse Art Hotel, Christchurch; St Peter’s Church, Upper Riccarton, and the Public Trust Building, Christchurch.

The sixth and final category in the awards is that of Future Heritage. This award is to recognise a new building showing sensitivity to the streetscape and landscape and one which will secure a cultural legacy for the future. The Christchurch Central Library, Tūranga, qualified as a finalist in this category.

Designed by Architectus for the Christchurch City Council, Tūranga fully meets the council’s new library vision as a “symbol of hope, unity and rebirth”. Tūranga impressed the judges through the culturally responsive design and implementation with knowledge, ancestry, whakapapa and cultural relevance at the forefront.

There are exterior and interior elements that collectively achieve the desired spirit of whakamanuhiri, welcoming guests hospitably from the outside to the inside. Tūranga connects well with the unique cultural identity and heritage of Christchurch City.

Other finalists in this category are the Aldersgate Centre – the new home for the Durham Street Methodist Church in Central Christchurch; the Memorial Bridge, Memorial Ave, Christchurch; St Bede’s College Chapel, Christchurch.

Dame Anna Crighton, Chair of the Canterbury Heritage Awards 2021, views the biennial awards as an opportunity to celebrate, applaud and admire the work from all entrants. “They are the heritage heroes, for individually and collectively, they have contributed to our cultural past with seminal tangible reminders.” The announcement of the category winners on June 11 is anticipated with much excitement.