In a statement, the council said the Thames St community gallery would close on March 1 to allow contractors and gallery staff a six-week period to ‘‘fit-out, move the collection, develop gallery spaces and prepare the new exhibitions’’.
‘‘February will be the last chance to view the Forrester Gallery and its final exhibitions in its current form,’’ the statement said.
The new building would be a similar size to the existing building and the two buildings would be linked together.
In its statement at the start of this month, the council said when contractors were cutting in new doorways on the third floor they discovered several artefacts.
‘‘While removing the windows, workers found some scraps of newspaper, a surprising number of buttons and a 1908 penny.’’
The council said ‘‘the money’’ found would not be added to fundraising efforts.
An exhibition from Sara McIntyre’s inaugural artist residency, for which she spent 10 weeks capturing Kākanui coastal life and connecting with members of the wider rohe, closed on Sunday.
Two moving image artworks filmed in Samoa, and commissioned by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Sione Tuívailala Monū and Edith Amituanai: Toloa Tales would close on March 1, the council said.
