Anniversary wing described

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32886, 8 April 1972, Page 12

Anniversary wing described

(Contributed by the Canterbury Muteum)

The model of the first stage of the hundredth anniversary wing of the Canterbury Museum wing shows an L-shaped block of 24,000 sq. ft in basement and two storeys, designed to close the circulation gap between the first museum of 1870-1882 (on right) and the Canterbury provincial wing of 1958 (far left). On the Botanic Gardens frontage the short arm of the L extends 65 feet to the south, the walls faced with panels of dressed stone to continue the Gothic accent of the von Haast building. Occupying a platform-balcony on the south-west cover, the dome of the resited planetarium relieves the flatness of the first-stage roof. Strong foundations will pennit a later addition of two storeys with gabled roof, but the first stage additions will meet the needs of this century. Beyond the skeleton of the giant Antarctic blue whale the long arm of the L runs north for 90ft in a storage and laboratory block cantilevered at first floor level over the whale to provide space for the 5500 sq. ft Antarctic hall and its associated Antarctic reference library. Visitors’ lounge The garden court is much more sheltered than before but can be cold in a southerly. Here on a bleak day let us follow the crippled visitor, rather glum in a wheel-chair while still recovering from a severe motor accident. As a schoolchild our young man knew the museum well and would like to retrace his steps in the first floor halls, and to explore the newly opened anniversary wing.

Adjoining the garden court a self-operated lift, designed for the purpose, easily conveys him in his chair to a visitors* lounge with a delightful view over the gardens. Here he can take right refreshments and enjoy with its gallery of Canterbury pictorial history in paintings, prints and photographs. A glass screen with an the atmosphere of this comfortably furnished lounge engraving of exploration in the heroic period draws him to the hall of Antarctic discovery, which is indeed the world’s largest Antarctic display, as befits the special role of Christchurch and New Zealand in Antarctic exploration. The library incorporates a national repository of records and relics of New Zealand mountaineers with Hillary’s Everest equipment in pride of place. Old favourites From the Antarctic Hall our visitor rejoins the building he knew when he comes out on the balcony, with its breathtaking view of the Pacific Hall. Passing two new halls which open on to the balcony he can enjoy old favourites in the circuit which culminates in the Stead Hall of New Zealand birds. Using a ramp descent he negotiates the Helmore hall of pre-Victorian applied arts, and completes his 10-hall circuit through the hall of Chinese and Japanese art to the lounge starting point. Taking the lift down to the ground floor he sees the first of two new display halls at this level. Beyond the Georgian and Stuart rooms a hall of human history glows with treasures gathered there during our first century. In the hall of colonial settlement there is virtually a new hall, where a blacksmith’s forge, stables and country-style colonial exhibits occupy the 1200 sq. ft freed by moving the planetarium. Finishing this at Wellington airport, I wait to catch a last plane home. “I saw your museum for the first tim e last week,” said the pleasant girl at the counter.

“It was lovely, I had no idea a museum could be so exciting."—R.S.D.