Case Study: Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland

Client: Museum Trust Board

Project
During the mid 90s, the 1920s design of the Auckland War Memorial Museum was struggling to cope with 540,000 annual visitors.A five year restoration project was undertaken in 2001 which saw the museum's size increase by 60%.The museum now boasts improved visitors amenities and services, exhibition and storage space, an underground car-park, basement collection storage, workshops, loading dock, state-of-the-art exhibition hall, cafe and shops.

The Auckland War Memorial Museum-Grand Atrium project commenced in 2002. Two basement levels, a ground floor, and four above ground levels were encompassed by a unique undulated roof: a mixture of copper and glass. Suspended beneath this iconic structure is a one-of-a-kind four-storey Fijian kauriclad bowl which serves as a learning centre, 200-seat auditorium and a 400-seat events centre.

In 2007 the project was awarded the Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Award by the Property Council of New Zealand.To be eligible for the Rider Levett Bucknall Supreme Award a development has to be outstanding in the following areas: economics factors, design and construction, efficiency of operation, owner and user satisfaction, contribution to the community, potential cultural and social benefits, and the degree of difficulty associated with the development.

Our role
Rider Levett Bucknall provided quality estimating, cost planning, cost control documentation, progressive reporting on subcontract letting and full post contract services in the development of: the on-site storage facility for the memorial museum's 5 million objects, exhibition hall, the Fijian kauri-clad bowl structure and the unique copper and glass roof.

Client benefits
Rider Levett Bucknall's Auckland Director, Stephen Gracey, says the job was: "Hugely complex with the design running only slightly ahead of the construction.This required constant cost planning and cost reporting back to the Museum Trust Board." Despite these challenges, Rider Levett Bucknall overcame them, producing reliable numbers for the Museum Trust Board.

Testimonial
"Throughout the Stage II Grand Atrium project at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Rider Levett Bucknall provided prompt accurate cost reports and valuable cost escalation information to enable reliable forecasting."
John Cowan, Head of Finance & Facilities, Museum Trust Board