Lead architects for Timaru’s Theatre Royal upgrade named

Thursday, 13 February 2025

A new plan presented by NB Architects for the redevelopment of the Theatre Royal was given the green light by councillors in October.

Two Timaru-based architecture firms will work together on the final detailed design for the redevelopment of the Theatre Royal and a neighbouring museum.

Timaru District Council group manager corporate and communications, Stephen Doran, said NB Architects, partnering with DLA Architects, had been selected as the council’s preferred architectural supplier.

“TDC is currently in negotiation with them to finalise their appointment.”

The companies, which both have offices in central Timaru, put in a joint registration of interest, Doran said.

He said the design, which was approved as a concept by councillors in October, would be progressed over the coming months and the community could expect “regular communications and updates”.

NB Architects spokesperson Josh Newlove, right, and Riley Smith look at their initial plans for the Theatre Royal in October. (File photo)

He said the lead architects were selected after the council called for registrations of interest from those interested in progressing the design presented by NB Architects in October.

That process, which was conducted through invitation, did not request developed designs, he said.

“The ROI was about gauging interest and ability to deliver on a project from invited parties — suppliers were asked to provide information on their capability to do the work.”

The council’s chief executive Nigel Trainor confirmed the council received three registrations of interest for the role, at the first council meeting of the year last Tuesday.

At that meeting, Trainor also informed councillors the tender evaluation team had recommended one, which council had already “signed off”. That came as a surprise to some elected members.

Drawings released in October by NB Architects included plans to open up and create laneway spaces around the Theatre Royal and musuem.

Trainor said the process had gone well, and there was one candidate that had “scored better than the others”.

He said once the contract for the work was sorted, they could get started with earthworks.

He also said he had been working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on the $11.6 million shovel-ready funding assigned to the project, and had given the Government department a new draft timetable that was due to go before the ministers for final approval.

As the council ran an invite-only process, via the Government’s free electronic tender service website Gets, information on the lead architect role was not available for public viewing. When the council issued tenders for work that were open to the public, details could be viewed online, as was the case for the two options listed last year for the redevelopment of Aorangi Park.

The Timaru Herald asked the council a number of questions about the process on December 23, including why it chose to run the process invite-only, who made that decision, how many suppliers had been invited, how it decided who to invite and whether it had received any complaints from potential suppliers who were not invited.

On Wednesday, Doran responded saying 11 architects had been issued invitations.

Josh Newlove with new plans for the Theatre Royal

“An ROI was selected as the appropriate procurement method as the council had already adopted a concept design.

“This is an appropriate procurement method ensuring that all local architects would be offered the opportunity to undertake the work.”

He said the council was not aware of any complaints from any potential supplier that had not been invited.

NB Architects’ spokesperson Josh Newlove declined to comment this week.

In October, Newlove told The Timaru Herald about the firm’s design and said the company believed the job could be done with a smaller budget than the $57m previously budgeted. They also hoped their plan would help kick-start development at the south end of Timaru.

One of four options presented in October, NB Architects’ proposal came with a $29m price tag, which would increase to about $45m if a new museum was built as well.

At the time, Newlove said the company had looked at how the Theatre Royal could function well for the community while retaining the heritage elements which were “uniquely Timaru”.

On October 31, when councillors agreed to go ahead with the plan, they stipulated that the first stage of the project would have to be completed for $24m after agreeing to a set budget for the work.

At the same meeting, Trainor said it was the council’s preference to use local contractors and he gave an assurance local would mean Timaru District rather than wider Canterbury.