Theatre past its heyday, planner says
A planner's recommendation could clear the way for the University of Otago to demolish an award-winning lecture theatre.
As part of proposed changes to the district plan, the Dunedin City Council has identified 146 buildings which are protected under the heritage schedule.
Following hearings last month, council planner Peter Rawson recommended six of the buildings be removed from the list, including the University of Otago's Archway Lecture Theatre.
Mr Rawson accepted the university's view the theatres were no longer fit for education and refurbishment was not possible.
The university's evidence indicated scheduling the building would have a high cost and "constrain their ability to operate efficiently and effectively".
"Therefore, I consider that the costs of scheduling the Archway Theatres building outweigh the benefits, and it should not be scheduled as a heritage building."
Vice-chancellor Grant Robertson said yesterday the university was "highly supportive" of the recommendation, which aligned with its submission to the hearing panel.
In his written submission, he asked for the building not to be included on the heritage list, saying the university was considering demolishing the theatres and the neighbouring Gregory Building — possibly replacing them with a formal garden space.
Victoria University of Wellington senior architecture lecturer Christine McCarthy opposed the building's demolition, and said the recommendation was extremely sad.
"It is such a progressive, innovative and challenging building that embodies the ethos of what a university would hopefully be striving for.
"It's a shame that these values don't appear to be appreciated and that the architecture has been only understood superficially and conservatively."
The Archway Lecture Theatre building was built in 1974, designed by notable Dunedin architect Ted McCoy, and won a New Zealand Institute of Architects Southern Architecture Award for enduring architecture in 2020.
Mr Rawson also recommended proposed protection be dropped for the Lookout Point Fire Station, saying scheduling it could prevent Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) providing a fit-for-purpose fire station.
In October, the council granted a certificate of compliance for the demolition of the building and an unattached accommodation block, meaning Fenz had a five-year period in which it could demolish the buildings, regardless of heritage protection.
Protecting the building could have the "perverse outcome" of encouraging Fenz to demolish within that period, Mr Rawson said.
Council city development manager Anna Johnson said a decision on the heritage plan change was expected to be released next month.
"The second hearing will address the remainder of the matters covered by Plan Change 1 and will likely be in August 2025 — a separate decision would be released for this hearing."
ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz
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