Carillon, Hall of Memories and Tomb of the Unknown Warrior by Studio Pacific Architecture

ArchiPro Project Summary - Restoration and seismic upgrade of the Carillon and Hall of Memories, enhancing the National War Memorial's historic significance while ensuring structural integrity and dignified access to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

Title:: Carillon, Hall of Memories and Tomb of the Unknown Warrior
Architect:: Studio Pacific Architecture
Category:: Community/; Public and Cultural
Completed:: 2014
Building style:: Classic
Client:: Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Photographers:: Studio Pacific Architecture

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 Architecture

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Studio Pacific Architecture. Shaping Our Pacific Future – We are a cross-disciplinary architecture, interior, landscape and urban design practice shaping a more sustainable and people-centric built environment across the buildings, neighbourhoods, cities, and landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand. Studio Pacific was established in 1992 by friends and colleagues Evžen Novák, Nick Barratt-Boyes, and Stephen McDougall. After working in the UK and Europe, the three architects were drawn back home by a shared desire to form a collaborative and innovative practice in Te Whanganui-a-Tara – Wellington. They opened an architecture studio ‘of the Pacific’, applying their creativity to projects that engaged with, and elevated, context and culture. Over the years, this has grown into a compelling manifesto to shape our collective Pacific future, where people and the planet are at the heart of our built environment. Today, we are a team of around 100 – including architects, urban designers, landscape architects, interior designers and business professionals. We bring diversity in thinking and design, and a democratic culture ensures clever ideas come from all corners of the practice, not necessarily from those who have been here the longest. Open-minded, collaborative and creative, our practice has evolved into a leading and award-winning business, working on a wide range of exciting projects that seek to make Aotearoa New Zealand a better place.