St Patrick's closes for $12m makeover

Catholic Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn closes St Patrick's Cathedral for worship until Easter 2007. Picture / Richard Robinson

Auckland's St Patrick's Cathedral has closed for almost two years as builders prepare for a $12 million conservation and restoration job.

The last Mass was celebrated in the rundown Gothic structure between Wyndham and Swanson streets last night. The 2000 faithful are not expected to return until Easter 2007.

The Catholic hierarchy last year estimated the refurbishment would cost $9.8 million.

But Gregory Shanahan, chairman of the St Patrick's Cathedral heritage appeal foundation, said the scope of work expanded during planning.

"There's more work involved than we thought last year but around $8 million has already been raised."

The challenge is to restore and strengthen the cathedral, afforded the highest degree of protection as a Historic Places Trust category A structure and Auckland City schedule 1 building.
The cathedral's roof leaks badly and the cracking structure is an earthquake risk. The plaster-on-brick exterior is suffering from rising damp and plaster is falling from an interior archway.

The 15-month reconstruction involves:

* Strengthening the entire structure with steel framing inserted into the walls and a new steel skeleton within the bell tower.

"If there is an earthquake, the walls will be strengthened to collapse outwards rather than in," said administrator Father Bernard Kiely.

* Building a new arched chapel behind the altar to double as a strengthening element for the back wall, the area to be called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. An archway in the back wall will be cut out to connect the old with the new.

* Building a new external structure on the northern side as a working sacristy with bathroom facilities.

* Reroofing the entire structure in slate tiles.

* Replacing the concrete floor and restoring the original kauri floorboards in the nave areas, with stone in aisle and entrance areas.

* Creating a new children's chapel on the northeast transept.

* Upgrading the flower-arranging area on the southwest transept.

* Shifting the baptismal font from the back to near the altar.

* Glazing the hidden rose window on the Albert St face, which is visible only from the outside.

* Building a new stone altar and installing a series of holy icons.

* Upgrading interior lighting.

* Installing a contemplative, paved stone labyrinth near the entrance alongside the grapevine brought to New Zealand by Bishop Pompallier in the early 1800s.