b'gold standardleft: The new concrete shear walls were left in their off-form state within the stairwells to match the historic methods of construction.Beyondthecosmeticimprovements,other Left wall in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted to Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay, ceiling in Resene Eighth Pearlsignificant challenges involved the structural upgrades Lusta and bulkhead walls in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel tinted to Resene Canterbury Clay. andconstructionofnewconcreteshearwallsand Resene Eighth Resene QuarterResenediaphragms throughout. Strengthening works required Pearl Lusta Canterbury Clay Canterbury Clay substantial sections of significant fabric, such as plaster finishes and timber dado panelling, to be temporarily removed before being carefully restored and refinished A plaster ceiling can be up to 20mm thick and weighVanquish and Resene Merlot, were applied to the wallsto conceal concrete shear walls beneath.anything up to 53 kilograms per square metre, so anand doors of the auditorium which, combined with theSite construction manager Eddie Holmes of Gemco area of falling plaster has the potential to cause injuryplushredseating,createdanatmosphereofdepthConstruction had completed remedial concrete workor worse. and luxurytraditional staples of theatre design. Byand tackled heritage buildings before, but he says it Thedecisionwasmadetopartiallyreplacethecontrast, the foyers were transformed from formerlywas nothing compared to the scale of this project. As plaster and return the auditorium ceiling to an earlier,darkandseeminglycloisteredspaceswithalighteryou can imagine, there were a lot of complexities. The lighter colour scheme. While retaining what they couldpalette of creams and neutral tones, including Resenelogistics of getting the concrete and structural steel of Carters mural, the new hues were interwoven in aCanterbury Clay and Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta whileinto all the nooks and crannies of the stairways was a way that harnessed and complemented the establishedthe first-floor foyer was anchored with carpets in richbig one. We couldnt access them by crane in there, so aesthetic values of the space. reds and finished with lavish gold plasterwork, includingit meant a lot more handling. The structural steel had to Bruce Allen, Group Manager Corporate for Hastingsnotes of Resene Gum Leaf that provide a prelude tobe made into much shorter sections, which meant a lot District Council, says there are always challenges thatthe adjoining auditorium. of spliced joints that had to be assembled in situ.need to be overcome with projects like this, and theyA new colour scheme for the toilets, combined withWorking in an old building is much different than continue to appear right through the project. Caseselected wallpaper, bench seating fabric and hexagonalworkingoutside.Itwasadark,dirty,noisy,damp in point was the discovery of a deterioration of thewall tiles, provided a refreshed and contemporary feelenvironment,andwiththequantityofconcrete fibrous plaster in the opera house ceiling, only reallywith historic overtones. The toilets were redesigned tobreaking and removal, it was a very dusty one too. I discovered when the scaffolding had been put in placeinclude a selection of floorcoverings based on an enlargedcant appreciate my team enough for achieving what for the internal repaint, requiring a quick decision on itsversion of the original floor tiles from the ground floorthey did and putting up with the conditions they did for removal, replacement and paint choices. entry foyer, explains Dave. Rimu skirting was paintedthe better part of two years.For him, the best outcome was that after such anin Resene Carnaby Tan from the Resene Heritage colourBut when you look at the quality of the outcome, intensive and invasive strengthening project, the historicrange, with the finish carried through the doors and timberEddie says its hard not to feel proud. There are a number features of the opera house have not only been retainedtrimsofthecubicleswhileahalfstrengthofReseneof concrete shear walls in the building that we formed, but, in many instances, enhanced and restored. Gum Leaf was used for the ceilings and Resene Quarterand by the time we replastered them and painted them, ThedecorativepeacockmotifswhichadornCanterbury Clay for the partitioning walls to allow a senseeverything came back together really, really well. theprosceniumarch,originallyinspiredbytheof continuity between the toilets, foyers and auditorium. He singles out the mosaic tile floor in the main foyerJudges at the 2020 Resene Total Colour Awardsabove: While the new toilets certainly boast contemporary comforts and conveniences, the ornate nature of the Vienna Secession architecturalLookingattheoperahouseinallhersplendouras his favourite element of the finished project. We hadagreed.TheprojecttookhomeboththeResenecolour palette and details make them feel like an authentic component. Ceiling in Resene movement,wereretainedintheirgoldcolours,totoday, its hard to tell just how much remediation hasto rip out all the foundations and flooring and build new,HeritageCommercialAwardaswellastheMasterGum Leaf, partitions in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel tinted to Resene reflect the lavishness that architect Henry Eli Whiteoccurredthough there are some subtle hints. Newlybut you wouldnt have wanted to lose what was there.NightingaleColourMaestroAwardforitsrichandQuarter Canterbury Clay and trims in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted envisionedwhenthetheatrewasfirstbuilt,saysinserted steel bracing to the staircase above the toiletsWe measured and photographed it then had the tilesluscious palette and astounding attention to detail. to Resene Carnaby Tan.Dave. A subtle touch of colour in Resene Gum Leaf,on the western side has been left exposed, contrastingreplicated and made new, and that came up beautifully.Now, the biggest worry for the Toitoi Opera House whichcomplementsthemural,wasintroducedinagainst sections of Resene Alabaster and offering aOf course, the whole building came up beautifully, butlies with the talent that performs therein making sureResene Resene Resene Resenesmall areas to the ceiling and balconies, offsetting theglimpse into the degree of intervention that has takenthat floor looks spectacular. they arent completely upstaged by her grandeur.Alabaster Pearl Lusta Spanish White Carnaby Tanlighter tones of Resene Pearl Lusta, Resene Spanishplace. Other details, like the concrete shear walls wereHastingsDistrictCouncilshareshissentiments.Resene ReseneReseneWhite and Resene Canterbury Clay. left in their off-form state within circulation spaces likeI think the paint colours are fantastic and are a gooddesign DPA Architects, www.dpaarchitects.co.nz Gum Leaf Merlot VanquishTo heighten the experience of the space, the designstairwells, displaying the textures of the boards in whichexample of collaboration between the architect and thebuild and painting Gemco Construction,team also introduced a selection of dramatic coloursthey were formed to match the historic methods ofclient to get it right and to achieve an outcome beyondwww.gemcogroup.co.nzto increase its sense of opulence. Rich reds, Reseneconstruction implemented in the building. what individuals could have achieved, says Bruce. images Sarah Rowlands, www.sarah-rowlands.com16 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 17'