Aigantighe Art Gallery Redevelopment Stage 1 Registration of Interest

⁠⁠⁠Registrations of Interest (ROI) are invited from Architectural Designers interested in being short-listed as prospective tenderers for development of a concept design for the redevelopment of the Aigantighe Art Gallery in Timaru.

The Gallery, which is operated by Timaru District Council, was established in 1956 and is made up of two buildings, the Heritage House Gallery and the 1978/1994 Extensions. It also features a sculpture garden with work by New Zealand and international artists. This ROI relates to the replacement of the 1978/1994 Extensions with a fit for purpose art gallery. In a separate project, it is expected strengthening of the Heritage House Gallery will be finished in 2023/24.

We are looking to partner with an architect with demonstrated experience and ability to develop a concept design which will take the gallery into the next era in visitor experience and ensure an important community asset is fit for purpose as a regionally significant art gallery.

This exciting redevelopment includes
- Demolition of the 1978/1995 extension
- Constructing a modern, purpose built art gallery on the existing Wai-iti Road site
- Resolving access issues to the Heritage House Gallery
- Resolving current storage issues and eliminating the need for offsite storage
- The long term preservation of the art collection and ensuring all storage and exhibition areas have temperature and humidity control
- Increasing exhibition space
- Improving services to the community, with provision of a multi-functional education space

Construction is planned to commence in 2024/25 with a budget of $8.5-9.5 million.
Council will also seek funding assistance through grants and donations for this project.
This is a two stage procurement process, starting with Registrations of Interest. It is expected that a short-list of approximately four tenderers will be then chosen to participate in a closed Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select the preferred supplier. In recognition of the work involved in preparing the RFP there will be a payment to participating short-listed suppliers. This document only deals with the first step in the process i.e. the ROI process.

What we need
Timaru District Council is looking to work with an architect design team with the capability, capacity and experience to provide
- An effective working relationship with the Council, Gallery staff, consultants and various stakeholders.
- Motivated qualified professional designers with experience in leading a collaborative design development process, including demonstrated ability to manage project risk to maximise value.
- Ability to deliver the project to an exceptional standard, with commitment to delivery within the agreed scope, budget and timeframes.
We expect the team will include a registered architect and will have a track record on projects of similar scale which include art galleries, museums or other relevant cultural facilities.

Why should you register your interest
This is an opportunity to utilise your highly relevant skillset to play a pivotal role in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a national cultural landmark, enabling the Aigantighe Art Gallery to fulfil its vision of being a responsive art museum that inspires, engages and challenges its diverse audiences through quality art experiences.