Impact was appointed as project manager for the high-profile and nationally significant National Library of New Zealand building redevelopment in Wellington, in October 2009. We have been working closely with National Library New Zealand during the design and contractor procurement phases. We have added value to this highly complex project by implementing our diverse range of management skills.
This project has now reached two key milestones: a main contractor has been appointed, and the detailed design is 80% complete. Construction on the National Library’s roof and plaza level is expected to begin in November. Value management is being applied across all aspects of the project to maximise the potential of the redevelopment.
Designed in the 1970s and built in the 1980s, the National Library building was deemed no longer fit for purpose, and was running out of storage space.
The redevelopment, led by Impact, will fix leaks on the Library’s roof and ground floor plaza, replace out-of-date systems, fix plant and machinery and optimise research spaces, as well as providing appropriate space and environments to store the collections for the next 20 years.
Importantly, the continued care, protection and security of the heritage collections is a priority. In the past year the National Library has put in place long-term preservation and packaging solutions for the collections, to ensure they are kept safe. The collections remaining in the building are stored in protected areas that the redevelopment won’t affect.
The National Library building, located in Molesworth Street, is currently closed to the public in preparation for the construction. The building will reopen in early 2012.
The Treaty of Waitangi may be on the move… the integration of the Department of Internal Affairs, Archives New Zealand and the National Library, including the Alexander Turnbull Library during 2011 was a catalyst for change with the intention of providing benefits for all three organisations. This presents a fantastic window of opportunity to co-locate the ‘shop fronts’ of these organisations, under one roof, at the iconic Molesworth Street building. While no final decisions have been made, Impact has been appointed to manage with the preparation of the Business Case to bring our nation’s documentary treasures together – providing the Treaty of Waitangi and other landmark constituional documents with an inspiring home – all within direct sight of Parliament. Watch this space!
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Impact has worked hard to understand the objectives and needs of the Library’s modernisation programme. The complexity of dealing with a building that contains New Zealand’s documentary heritage collections is challenging, but Impact is meeting this challenge professionally. We have developed a strong working relationship with Impact and they have become critical members of our team.
- Rob Stevens, Programme Manager, New Generation Implementation Programme, National Library of New Zealand
