He pitched the idea of museums as "magical theatre" - fun, animated, enriching environments that did not need to be constrained by a building or one location, or centred around objects and artefacts.
"Buildings can freeze a 19th century model of a museum into bricks and mortar.
"Think beyond a museum as a building and form a vision that is somehow uniquely of Tauranga."
Before architects, the museum needed "visionary champions" who could articulate what was special about Tauranga that a museum should express, he said.
"Let the entrepreneurs thrive."
Gorbey said building a small museum was the worst pitfall the city could fall into.
"The small ones are the most likely to close. Try and get a critical mass."
For Tauranga he estimated that would mean about 2000sq m and a staff of 10.
Gorbey, who in 2006 was an adviser to the council that considered - and ultimately-scrapped - a so-called "museum-on-a-pier" idea for Tauranga's waterfront, said courage was needed to make a museum happen.
"It's going to be bloody hard to get your building off the ground. Te Papa moved rapidly - it was 13 years from go to whoa.The Australian National Museum in Canberra was 25 years - though I understand you may be threatening that record.
"You've got to have the courage to keep fighting. Museums that lack courage are the most likely to fail."
'We need activists' - councillor
A city councillor says Tauranga needs a wave of museum "activists" to get the project off the ground and inspire a vision.
Councillor Max Mason told a breakfast meeting of people interested in the museum project that the council was not alone responsible for making decisions about a future museum.
With a citywide referendum around the corner it was more important than ever for people to get involved, he said.
"It's up to you to become activists to make this happen."
