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Sir Ian Athfield may rest in peace. Nikau’s palms are safe, as is his building.
Wellington City Council will fix and upgrade the Central Library that the late architect designed, at a cost of $ 179 million.
On Wednesday, councilors set aside public support for new construction in a unanimous endorsement of their officials’ recommendation for Option C: Repair the library, which closed in March 2019 after engineers deemed it a risk. in an earthquake.
They were influenced, in part, by the reduction in the building’s original repair cost, which had started at $ 200 million and dropped to $ 178.7 million after a closer look at design and engineering.
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Ross Giblin / Stuff
Wellington Central Library has been closed since it was declared earthquake prone in March last year.
The councilors’ decision was against the wishes of the public, as the majority of participants and respondents in an independent poll supported Option D, a new $ 180 million building.
Mayor Andy Foster said at the meeting that this was “a great decision and the community wants us to go ahead and make it.”
“This is a very good news day for Wellington.”
Councilors previously discussed a couple of amendments on accessing and “optimizing” the building space, including adding floors and possibly leasing some of that extra space to save more money.
Deputy Mayor Sarah Free was concerned that this would require more work on the part of officers and would drastically change the original design.
But Councilmember Fleur Fitzsimons said it was a “once in a generation opportunity” and that the council had to seize “the opportunity to consider the full potential of the site.”
WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL
A $ 179 million upgrade is planned for Wellington’s earthquake-prone central library, with an expected opening date of May 2025.
Diane Calvert said that if it was feasible, it would be a “spectacular design added to the building.”
Others agreed and both amendments were approved, before the council voted to fix the current building.
The council had received 1,456 written submissions on the five options on the table, which included varying degrees of strengthening (options AC), while options D and E related to new construction.
Feedback showed that 42 percent of people were in favor of Option D, building a new library on the existing site, while 31 percent preferred Option C, the council’s preferred option, which would involve strengthening high-level earthquakes.
WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL
The upgrade would convert the earthquake-affected library into a modern 21st century library.
Those interested in a new construction said that the heritage features of the existing building designed by Athfield in 1991 could be recognized by preserving the building’s distinctive Nikau palm trees.
Option C was estimated to cost $ 179 million, while a rebuild, which would include the installation of base insulators, additional structural supports, wall reinforcement, and bracing reinforcement to cushion the impact of an earthquake, cost $ 180 millions.
In an earlier story, Foster said opinion was divided on whether to work with the existing building or to cross it out and start over, with concerns about cost and risk.
“This concern is shared by the city council as we face multiple priorities for the city, along with the economic impacts of Covid-19.
ROSS GIBLIN / THINGS
Wellington’s central library closed on March 19, 2019 following advice received from engineers that the building might not be safe in the event of an earthquake.
“Additional robust design work has provided more certainty that we can offer a modern library service at significantly reduced cost. Although Option D and C are popular, the timeline for Option C would allow us to open the doors of a modern central library sooner, which is something we can all agree on, ”said Foster.
The library was closed indefinitely on March 19, 2019, after the council received engineering advice on significant vulnerabilities from the earthquake.
This included “specific structural concerns” with the library floor seating, similar to those found in the Statistics New Zealand building that partially collapsed in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake.
At the time, then-Mayor Justin Lester described the library as the “living room of the city” and said it was visited by about 3,000 people, including 500 children, every day.
