Artistic investment

Anyone in the construction industry will tell you it's much easier to build a structure from scratch than it is to refurbish an existing one especially for a widely different function. The new Tauranga art gallery is no exception. Once a bank, the building has been transformed to provide more than 1300m² of exhibition space.

As well as refurbishing the building to suit its new role, there was also the important matter of bringing the building up to date structurally, says Mark Gutry, general manager of construction company Watts & Hughes.

"The work to bring the building up to present-day code requirements involved a lot of forward planning, as the building is more than 45 years old. Everyone involved in the project has gone above and beyond to ensure its success."

It hasn't been a smooth process either. Work on the building had to significantly change tack after a fire caused $450,000 damage just months before the proposed opening.

"The fire was started when gas cutting was being carried out on the exterior steel work, and heat from the steel ignited some insulation. We worked about seven weeks straight to overcome the fire damage and get the project back on schedule. The commitment shown by the Watts & Hughes team, and the sub-contractors, meant the gallery was able to host an important function just weeks later," says Gutry.

With these challenges behind them, Gutry says the Watts & Hughes team responsible for all exterior and interior work can now focus on the job of preparing the gallery for its official opening.

For further information, contact Watts & Hughes, 82 Newton St, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, phone (07) 574 1780, fax (07) 574 1783. Email: info@wattsgroup.co.nz. Website: www.wattsgroup.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas