The latest addition to Auckland Art Gallery

ARTFUL CONCRETING MAKES A STATEMENT

Auckland Council commenced in September 2008 a comprehensive development of the Auckland Art Gallery at the corner of Wellesley and Kitchener Streets, Auckland. The aim of the project was to provide an exciting, vibrant and welcoming art experience while protecting one of Auckland’s treasured iconic buildings for future generations. Development of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki comprised the following principal elements:

· Seismic strengthening: so that the Gallery meets today’s standards for earthquake resistance.
· Heritage conservation, to protect and restore one of Auckland’s most treasured heritage buildings.

· Modernisation, to upgrade, and increase gallery and exhibition space, thereby providing galleries of international quality and greater public access to permanent and touring collections.

· Improved back of house facilities and plant layouts, so that the operational efficiency of the gallery was improved.

· Innovative suspended façade system utilising stressed stainless steel rods.

· Creating 50% more exhibition space.

· Improved connections, not just inside the building but also to Albert Park, Khartoum Place and the rest of the CBD.

Hawkins Construction were selected as the successful main contractor to undertake the $121 million redevelopment following a competitive tender process.

For Stevenson Concrete, being selected by Hawkins Construction to supply concrete to the $121 million redevelopment of Toi o Tāmaki, the Auckland Art Gallery, was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Stevenson previously supplied concrete to Hawkins at another iconic Auckland building the Auckland War Memorial Museum

Stevenson Concrete worked in conjunction with Hawkins Construction, pump operators and layers to ensure the delivery and placement was a smooth and seamless operation.

Some 5,000 m³ of concrete was delivered from Sept 2008 until Sept 2011, the mixes utilised covered the Stevenson range:

· Site Concrete

· Shotcrete

· Structural Concrete (20- 40 Mpa)

· Self Compacting Concrete

· Flowable Fill (2Mpa)

· Engineered specialist mixes

· Fibre reinforced concrete

· Decorative concrete

The final stages of our supply contract involved the development of specialised decorative concrete for the external mezzanine areas. The architects, Sydney based Francis Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) and locally based Archimedia had very specific requirements to achieve desired performance and overall appearance of these areas. Many concrete samples and trial mix batches were made for approval. Each sample had slight modifications to the previous blends until we succeeded in meeting all requirements for the finished product, a process taking six months. The approved mix contained a blend of aggregates from several sources around New Zealand along with high performance admixtures and cellulose fibres to create a unique 40mm bonded overlay in large panel sizes. The concrete was placed and finished by AJ Russell Ltd and polished by Auckland Concrete Grinding Ltd. Some of the premixed blended materials were also provided to Terrazzo and Stoneworks for manufacture of matching precast components.

Not only were there considerable site constraints in Kitchener Street with busy CBD traffic volumes, but also the pours were constantly delayed by inclement weather particularly between June and August 2011. These delays made completion more difficult as the concrete had to be placed taking account of the almost completed building, making access awkward and requiring careful placement to avoid damage to finished areas.

A stunning new entrance foyer located on the site of the previous foundation creates an inviting welcome space for visitors. A key feature of the refurbishment is the way the new space acknowledges and establishes connections with neighbouring Albert Park.

The Auckland Art Gallery redevelopment project increased the available exhibition space by 50 per cent and took three years to complete. It was re-launched to the public in a grand opening in early September 2011. The finished area is an example of what can be achieved using specialist advice from Stevenson Concrete. The use of Styled Concrete enhances the appearance and character of the rebuilt Auckland Art Gallery taking it boldly into the next century.

Project owner: Auckland Council

Main contractor: Hawkins Construction Ltd

Main architects: FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp), Sydney Archimedia, Auckland

Concrete placement: AJ Russell Bricklayers

Concrete pumping: AJ Russell Bricklayers

Polishing: Auckland Concrete Grinding

Decorative Concrete: Stevenson Concrete

Awards