Auckland Art Gallery upgrade faces obstacle

Art Gallery director Chris Saines says the council will defend an appeal to the Environment Court opposing extension plans. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

The $90 million restoration and upgrade of the Auckland Art Gallery faces further delays after Auckland businesswoman Coralie van Camp lodged an appeal against its resource consent with the Environment Court.

Mrs van Camp, best known as a campaigner for public ownership of Auckland assets, has appealed against the modern addition alongside the 1887 French-style colonial building, the "sacrifice" of mature trees in Albert Park to make way for the extension, and traffic chaos during 30 months of construction.

Interior architect Chris Van Ryn, another critic who labelled the project an "insipid, mediocre effort", said he planned to join Mrs van Camp's appeal.

Auckland Regional Council chairman Mike Lee said he signed up to the gallery project at the Auckland Mayoral Forum 18 months ago but now had serious misgivings about the impact on Albert Park and that "wonderful old French colonial building".

"A much better idea is to locate it on the waterfront in 10 years and in the meantime save some money up for it," Mr Lee said.

In documents filed with the Environment Court, Mrs van Camp said the most deeply flawed part of the plan was the compromised middle section meant to allow a view through to Albert Park and what trees were left. This section would also obstruct the popular and convenient walkway from the park to Khartoum Place.

She said there were similarities between the art gallery and the way the original Britomart scheme was pushed through against public protest. The claimed public benefits in both cases were questionable and the risks obscured, the documents said.

The gallery got the go-ahead last month when three independent commissioners granted resource consent to demolish the 1971 Edmiston Wing and build a modern wing to the north along Kitchener St. The project involves cutting into Albert Park, removing and pruning a number of trees.

Art Gallery director Chris Saines yesterday said the Auckland City Council, as gallery owner, would defend the appeal. He would not comment on the grounds of Mrs van Camp's appeal.

Mr Saines said it was too early to say what, if any, impact the appeal would have on the planned building programme and fund-raising efforts.

Asked if the appeal would add to the delays, Mr Saines said he could not "gaze the crystal ball" until the end of the appeal period on October 25.

Regulatory processes and issues raised by the council's urban design panel have already pushed back the closing date of December 17 for the main gallery. Work had been due to start next March with a completion date of 2010.

Mrs van Camp's appeal has been referred to Environment Court Judge Laurence Newhook. If the parties cannot reach a settlement, a hearing will be held within six months.

Mr Van Ryn said he had travelled the world and seen how architecture, like the Sydney Opera House and Eiffel Tower, was one of the most important things for presenting the culture of cities. Wellington, too, did a better job than Auckland.

"The short-term gain of putting a clip-on to a historic building is lost against what we could have in better locations, better thought through," he said.