The Manawatū Art Gallery was opened on July 3, 1977. Photo / Judith Lacy
The Manawatū Art Gallery was opened on July 3, 1977. Photo / Judith Lacy
The architects of two historically significant Palmerston North buildings have been recognised with an Enduring Architecture Award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.
The Enduring Architecture Awards are given to architecture representing significant achievement in design that have maintained their relevance for more than 25 years and continue to contribute to the community and to those that use the buildings.
The recipients of the awards, part of the 2021 Western Architecture Awards, are the architects of Te Rau O Te Aroha Māori Battalion Hall and the Manawatū Art Gallery.
Te Rau O Te Aroha Maori Battalion Hall was opened in 1964. Photo / Judith Lacy
The Māori Battalion Hall in Cuba St was designed by celebrated Māori architect John Scott and opened in 1964.
The art gallery in Main St West was designed David Taylor and opened in 1977.
Scott was of Te Arawa descent and was born in Haumoana, Hawke's Bay. His work is known for incorporating design ideas from both European and Māori cultures at a time when this was unknown. Scott's other significant projects include Our Lady of Lourdes church in Havelock North and the Chapel of Futuna in Karori, Wellington.
Te Rau O Te Aroha served as a community centre in remembrance of the soldiers of the 28th Māori Battalion who lost their lives during World War II. The battalion gathered and encamped at the Palmerston North Showgrounds in Pascal St before marching past this site to depart from The Square by train for the war.
The building is constructed primarily of exposed concrete to signify the strength of Māori and includes 14 whakairo (carved panels) on the exterior. Extensive tukutuku and kowhaiwhai (scroll work) feature on the interior. The names of those who fell in war are inscribed on brass plaques in the main hall.
To meet a tight budget for the art gallery, Taylor designed a single-level barn-like structure that allowed a substantial mezzanine floor and clerestory high-level windows to admit natural light. Constructed of exposed and textured concrete, Taylor was influenced by the Bauhaus movement and the design of the Australian National Gallery then under construction in Canberra.
At the presentation ceremony on May 20 at the art gallery, mayor Grant Smith said to have two city buildings recognised by the Institute of Architects was a "truly pleasant surprise". The city is traditionally not that kind to architectural heritage with the Grand Hotel, City Library, Regent on Broadway, Soldiers' Club and Sir Geoffrey Peren Building notable exceptions.
The awards were a timely reminder of the purpose and value the structures have for the city and he thanked the institute for giving them the much-needed status they deserve.
Former Manawatū Art Gallery director Margaret Taylor addresses the award ceremony. Photo / Te Manawa
Wiremu Kingi Te Awe Awe accepted the award on behalf of the hall's owners and Margaret Taylor, widow of David Taylor, on behalf of the art gallery.
Te Awe Awe said the hall held a lot of significance to him personally and he remembered fundraising debutante balls held there. He wants to see the hall restored to its former glory.
Margaret Taylor is a former director of the gallery. She said David was a remarkable designer and most of his first drawings for the gallery were done in her house in Canberra, where she was working at the National Gallery of Australia.
