Museum of Southland Main Contractor Confirmed

Invercargill’s museum rebuild is advancing rapidly with Naylor Love, a local construction firm, joining as the main contractor for the new Museum of Southland. This development is part of the Invercargill City Council’s ambitious Project 1225, which aims to revitalize the city’s cultural infrastructure.

Lee Butcher, the Council Project Director, explained the importance of having Naylor Love on board. He said, “The purpose of an ECI is to partner our architectural team with one that brings practical building expertise to the table. It’s important to have people from the building industry on board during the design process, to assist the design team with construction methodology and the ‘buildability’ of a project.”

The architectural team responsible for the museum’s design includes fjcstudio, Evatt Martin, and designTRIBE. They presented their initial concept designs in August.

Naylor Love Project Manager Nick Jones expressed excitement about the project, stating, “We are really keen to begin that collaboration with the wider Project 1225 team, from the Invercargill City Council through to its architectural partners, to bring a wonderful project to fruition in the city.”

The project timeline indicates that the demolition of the existing Southland Museum and Art Gallery will start in mid-2024. The base build of the new Te Unua Museum of Southland is expected to be completed by December 2025, followed by the interior design and exhibit setup, leading to its grand opening in late 2026.