In a statement this week, Invercargill City Council said the project to build a new regional museum in the city was now taking shape, with two distinct structures — a western building, which will feature the museum experience and the eastern building, which will house retail, cafe, education, and office spaces.
Council group manager capital portfolio Jamie Garnett said the installation of structural steel for Te Unua, the double-hulled waka that will serve as a striking focal point for Southland’s new museum, was a significant milestone in the build.
"The double-hulled waka really is the crown jewel in terms of the architecture of Te Unua Museum of Southland, so to see it now in place really helps the community to envisage what their new museum will look like," he said.
The roof has been completed on the western experience hall, while concrete has been poured on both the ground floor and level one of the eastern building.
Meanwhile, concrete for the elevated terrace — also part of the eastern building — is to be poured soon.
"Our upcoming concrete pours will easily take us over the 1000cu m mark — that’s a pretty significant amount of grey gold."
Work on the foyer that would connect the two buildings was coming up as well, Mr Garnett said.
"We know our new museum is a huge priority to the people of Invercargill and Murihiku.
"Te Unua Museum of Southland is coming to life quite rapidly now, so we hope our community is excited by its progress."
At this stage the build remains on schedule, with the western building set to be completed at the end of this year, and the eastern building and foyer set to follow in early 2026.
Further details regarding the completion of the project and opening to the public were still being finalised and would be communicated to the community when these had been confirmed, Mr Garnett said.
Te Unua Museum of Southland museum director Eloise Wallace said plenty of work was also happening behind-the-scenes.
"It is not often that a community has an opportunity to build a regional museum, and our team is really excited about the chance to share Southland’s stories in a meaningful, engaging way," she said.
"Southland’s stories are all around us, and we’re looking forward to being able to give the community a taste of what’s to come in their new museum very soon."
As well as focusing on developing the experience within Te Unua Museum of Southland, alongside experience designers Gibson International and stakeholders including mana whenua, a significant amount of mahi — such as developing educational resources, exploring partnership opportunities, and more — was also ongoing, she said.
Cultural institutions, such as Te Unua Museum of Southland, served as important touchpoints for the community and enhanced cultural, social, educational, and environmental connections across generations, she said.
"Everybody working on Te Unua right now — from the team working on the building site, to those working to prepare the region’s heritage collections for display — is putting a huge amount of care and pride into their mahi, which I have no doubt will be reflected in the facility our community will enjoy." — Allied Media
