Queens Park Embarks on Transformative Journey: Construction Begins for New Museum

Queens Park is undergoing a transformation as it becomes a construction site for the new museum. Project 1225, the rebuild initiative, is progressing, and the Invercargill City Council has allocated $39.4 million towards its development. Related: Construction Reaches Halfway Point at New Museum Tisbury Storage Facility

The objective is to establish a new museum in Queens Park, provide a new habitat for the tuatara, and construct a collection storage facility by December 2025. The anticipated opening of the new museum is slated for late 2026.

Starting in July, the area surrounding the existing museum will be cordoned off as a work site. This will lead to restricted access to certain walkways, roads, and parking areas. Victoria Ave, stretching from the Kelvin St end to the Gala St Reserve crescent, will only be accessible to authorised vehicles, and public parking will no longer be available along Victoria Ave. Additionally, access to some walking tracks around the museum site will be redirected and modified.

Lee Butcher, the Council Programme Lead, emphasised the significance of initiating work at the museum site as preparations are made for the demolition of the current building in April. Butcher acknowledged that the initial adjustments might be frustrating for park users but assured that signage and updates would be provided to ensure their safety and help navigate the changes.

The Council aims to engage the community throughout this process and plans to create special viewing areas where people can catch a glimpse of the construction beyond the fences.

Preparation work has already commenced, including the removal of several macrocarpa trees to make space for the new museum. The wood from these trees will be repurposed for use in the new construction. The demolition of the current museum is scheduled to begin in April once all collection items have been transferred to the Tisbury storage facility.

The base build is expected to be completed by December 2025, with public access to the museum planned for the latter half of 2026.

Architectural firms Fjcstudio, Evatt Martin, and Design Tribe were appointed in April to design the new building, and it is anticipated that concept designs will be finalised by July.