Carillon, Hall of Memories and Tomb of the Unknown Warrior
By Studio Pacific Architecture
Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Wellington 2014
The National War Memorial in Wellington commemorates all New Zealanders who have served and given their lives in wars and conflicts throughout the world, including the two World Wars. The Memorial is made up of three buildings: the Carillon tower, opened in 1932, the Museum and Art Gallery, opened in 1936, and the Hall of Memories, designed in 1932 and completed in 1964.
Studio Pacific was commissioned in 2002 to restore the historic building fabric of and around both the Carillon and the Hall of Memories building. This included repairs to the historic balconies, steel windows and patent glazing skylights. The surrounding paving, steps, balustrades and landscaping were also upgraded.
Further, the refurbishment of the National War Memorial forecourt as part of this project provided a setting for the newly created Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Designed by sculptor Kingsley Baird, the Tomb contains the remains of an unidentified New Zealand soldier who died in France during World War I. Studio Pacific’s design for the forecourt allows for the many complex and subtle protocols around the Tomb to be carried out with ease and dignity.
Since 2011, Studio Pacific has been working on a series of projects to seismically upgrade both the Carillon and Hall of Memories. This work included structural strengthening of the tower and the installation of new intermediate floors and stairs, giving better and safer access to the bells. The 2013-2015 seismic strengthening work on the Hall of Memories has brought it up to 100% NBS. Most of the strengthening is below ground, with the new glazed side roofs being the only visible external change.
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Carillon, Hall of Memories and Tomb of the Unknown Warrior
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Studio Pacific was established in Wellington in 1992 by the three directors: Nicholas Barratt-Boyes, Stephen McDougall and Evzen Novak.
Prior to establishing the studio, all three directors studied and/or worked together in New Zealand before working for a period in Europe: Evzen studied in Berlin and worked in Switzerland and London, while Nick and Stephen were based in London and worked on projects throughout the U.K. and Europe.
The collective international experience gained by the directors in Europe set the platform and influenced the direction of the practice. From early design competitions and small residential commissions, Studio Pacific has evolved into an award-winning substantial and creative practice with diverse projects throughout New Zealand. Particular recognition has been given to the studio for working with the arts, urban regeneration, housing, masterplanning and contemporary workspace planning.
Studio Pacific undertakes a large range of projects, from small individual furniture items to large projects involving entire new towns. Our small-scale work includes new houses, additions and alterations, and retail work. Our larger schemes include large multi-unit residential and commercial buildings as well as masterplans and landscaping.
We enjoy having a mix of project sizes and types in the studio – each project has different challenges, and offers varied opportunities for us to express our creativity in response.
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