Hokitika Heritage – a strategy of reuse and sustainability for Hokitika Government Building

Heritage New Zealand engaged us alongside Origin Heritage, who had previously prepared a conservation plan for the building. The goal is to retain the building’s character, inside and out, while enabling viable future use. 

The strategy focuses on sustainability and reuse: prioritising repair over replacement and encouraging the reuse of existing materials where possible.

New interventions are carefully located in areas of lower heritage value. Our design will add a contemporary stair on the south-east side, effectively linking the two floors of the building to the entrance and providing generous natural light into the main circulation spaces. We'll also add new bathrooms and a lift. These additions will support functionality while also respecting the building’s heritage.

The first stage of the weathertightness and safety project is now finished, so the building is now secure and stable until the full strengthening scheme can be completed. 

Stage 1 included re-roofing and replacing the rotten and leaky windows – the building can now dry out, and the rot can stop! The parapet and facades have been strengthened to improve public safety around the building.

We've particularly enjoyed working on the windows alongside local joiner Sam Weston of Paparoa Timber Works  – he's a true heritage enthusiast – and also with Ruben's Joinery from Christchurch. Sam led the work replacing around 55 old timber windows with new “replica” windows. The replacement sash windows are not entirely new, though; hidden within the frames of each are two of the original weights that help the windows glide into place, each weighing almost 10kg. Sam liked the heritage value of reusing them, and says they would have been expensive to replace completely.

Government architect John Campbell designed the original building, which is described as Imperial Baroque. Its construction was in two phases between 1908 and 1914, with the first phase providing accommodation for the Land and Deeds departments and the second for Supreme Court facilities.

While tenders for construction were still being sought, the then Minister of Public Works William Hall Jones requested a 20-foot setback to allow for a statue of former premier Richard Seddon, who had died two years earlier. According to Heritage New Zealand, Campbell was reluctant, but nonetheless the statue was unveiled in May 1910 before the building was even completed, and it remains today.

The building is recognised by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 Historic Place. It had been empty for over fifteen years when we began working on it, which no doubt hastened its decline. 

Once the next round of funding is confirmed, Heritage New Zealand will commit to the second stage of the project, and we're very much looking forward to working with the team again. Until then, the building will remain unoccupied and safely fenced off.

When complete, the refurbished building will be a significant heritage asset for the Hokitika community and available for commercial tenancy. The fully restored courtroom within it will, ideally, be accessible as a public space. 

You can keep up to date with the project here.