Museum Storage and Research Facility

Invercargill City Council needed a permanent home for the museum collection held at Southland Museum and Art Gallery. The answer is a purpose built cool store storage and research facility, 1,650 square metres over a single level, built to Importance Level 3 with specialist environmental control to protect the collection long term.

The work began with a response to a registration of interest for design and construct services, leading to a negotiated guaranteed maximum price contract. The design team was assembled and the design process run in partnership with the council, with consent obtained inside five months and cost plan reporting updated throughout. Early contractor involvement allowed additional scope and betterment to be written into the final documentation, improving public value and how the building performs in use.

Construction covers a concrete slab on fill, structural steel frame and insulated panel cladding to walls and roof, with a detached plantroom, firefighting storage tank, carpark, hardscaping, fencing and roading. It was completed on time in December 2023.