Halls strongly contribute to Hutt City identity

A letter from Registered Architect Neville H Price to the Hutt News

The suggestion that the Hutt City original national award winning Town Hall and Horticultural Hall may be demolished is being heard with great concern as far away as Auckland.

The building should be retained at any cost. The architecture is unique, designed in its day to the international modern style way ahead of its time for a New Zealand City. As part of a recognised collective group of buildings of architectural merit, they emphasise that the Hutt City is mature and has a national identity.

It is strongly suggested that the exterior shell be retained, maybe modified internally, and as needed, grow through subsequent structures be added in a form compatible to the original. Internal spaces can be changed to meet current demands.

What relevance do I have to Hutt City, particularly these two halls?

•                    My affiliation to the area was attending Epuni Primary School for my first two years of education.

•                    My family owned commercial property close by on High Street.

•                    The Manukau City Centre, (NZ’s largest City before the Auckland regional merger), had a similar brief when I designed their administration and Council Chamber building – like the Hutt City to provide a new city with a focal structure of architectural merit to form the new hub for the area.

•                    As the architect of an historic Building - West Plaza in downtown Auckland, awarded by the New Zealand institute of Architects for enduring architecture.

After living abroad and practising architecture in the US for 28 years, one sees and values the extent to which historic buildings contribute and balance the mix of architecture. For example the Marin Civic Centre by Frank Lloyd Wright is a national historic monument in California USA, and while it might not function to the efficiencies of a new building today, it remains an operating structure of world renown.

To visit, enjoy, and appreciate the architectural style and ambiance illustrates a reason for historic designation. (It will remain fully operational as the seat of local government, but is preserved as part of the history of the State of California and the USA).

New Zealand needs to preserve its historic buildings, especially public halls that form part of a civic precinct which are iconic buildings, and that have ready use and access by the public. This applies more critically to relatively new cities more recently developed like Hutt City.

Sincerely

Neville H Price Registered Architect

 

NZ Institute of Architects urges demolition rethink

A letter from Luke Allen, Chair of the New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Branch to Dominion Post and Hutt News
Dear Editor,

The Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) strongly recommends that Hutt City Council reconsiders the proposed demolition of the Lower Hutt Town Hall and Horticultural Hall. These are two of the city’s most important buildings, and have national significance.

The halls, which were designed by two highly regarded architectural firms, are part of a group of exemplary Modern Movement buildings, which are unique in New Zealand, as is their garden setting. The buildings follow the lead of the European modernist architects whose work is now celebrated throughout the world. Our branch awarded Hutt City Council an enduring architecture award for the Civic Centre in 2011, and one of the buildings in the group was awarded an NZIA Gold Medal at the time of its construction.

The heritage value of the group of buildings has been recognised by experts in the field, including the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, the Council itself, and DOCOMOMO, the international organisation devoted to documenting and conserving Modern Movement buildings. Around the world, many countries have programmes to specifically list Modern Movement and more recent buildings. For example, Lloyd’s of London, designed by Richard Rogers in 1978, is now a Grade 1 listed heritage building in the UK.

We urge the Council to save these buildings. Demolishing the two halls will irreparably damage the Civic Centre group of buildings. It will mean the loss of the best of Hutt’s Modern Movement architecture with its considerable social history. Hutt City doesn’t have to add to this country’s regrettable record of careless demolition. If we fail to value recent heritage, we will have no old heritage.

Yours faithfully,

Luke Allen,

Chair,
New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Branch

International group calls for retention of Civic Centre buildings

An international group which supports the conservation of Modern Movement buildings - DOCOMOMO - is calling on the Hutt City Council to reverse its decision to demolish two buildings that form a vital part of the Lower Hutt Civic Centre.

Group member Ian Bowman says the loss of the Town Hall and Horticultural Hall "would irreparably damage the Civic Centre group and remove its heart."

"It would mean the loss of the best of the Hutt’s Modern Movement architecture, imbued as it is with considerable social history. The city would lose the tourism opportunity to celebrate the best of its architecture of the 1950s."

For Ian's full piece, click here.

 

Creative solutions to save our Civic Centre - adaptive reuse

Here’s some examples of adaptive reuse that the Hutt City Council could take inspiration from. Each of these buildings has been adapted in creative ways, with brilliant results – while retaining the heritage character that makes them special in the first place.

Follow the links to each example and be inspired by what is possible when communities, councils and owners think imaginatively about their shared history – and future.

 

Auckland City Art Gallery - and read the background here. 

 

Shed 10 Auckland - more here.

 

Dunedin North Post Office / Otago Museum

Supreme Court Wellington

St Peters Town Hall South Australia

Rotorua Museum

Wellington Government Building

 

Demolishing Hutt halls would be loss for city’s heritage

Heritage group Historic Places Wellington is urging the Hutt City Council to rethink its plans for a convention centre. Demolishing two of the city’s halls is too high a price to pay for the new development, says the group’s chairman John Daniels.

“We congratulate the council on its decision to retain and strengthen the city administration block and clock tower. However, demolishing the two halls would be a big loss for the city’s heritage” he said.

"The town hall and horticultural hall date from the major civic centre redevelopment of the 1950s which gave the city a complex of fine modernist civic buildings. This complex is probably unique in New Zealand and losing the two halls would destroy a key part of it. The Hutt Civic Centre has been recognised by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Historic Area, and Hutt citizens can justly feel proud of it."

"The halls have served the city well for civic and community events for decades and would be missed by groups that might not be able to afford to use a new convention centre. Historic Places Wellington urges the Council to look again at ways of incorporating one or both of the halls in a new development."