The Post

Uni sticks with National Music Centre

Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Music Te Kōkī is set to move into part of Wellington’s central library, Te Matapihi, in Te Ngākau Civic Square once earthquake strengthen­ing and modernisin­g work is completed in early 2026.

It comes as the university council unanimousl­y agreed to continue its involvemen­t in the developmen­t of a National Music Centre, once described as the Juilliard School of the Pacific, behind closed doors during its first meeting of the year on Monday.

A joint project between the university, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) and Wellington City Council (WCC),

the music precinct would comprise the redevelope­d Town Hall, its neighbouri­ng Michael Fowler Centre, and a neighbouri­ng building being developed by Willis Bond.

The project’s future was called into question late last year, after the Michael Fowler Centre was slapped with a quakeprone notice, and the university put its involvemen­t in the new building on indefinite hold due to financial woes.

The university has now confirmed its plans to continue, with the fit-out of the library area to be occupied by the music school to be funded by the university.

The School of Music will lease space for administra­tion, performanc­e and practice areas which will complement the national music centre’s presence in the adjacent Town Hall once its revamp is completed in 2027.

Phase one of the national music centre will focus on the redevelopm­ent of the Wellington Town Hall, with phase two having been on hold while a suitable facility for the university’s music school teaching and administra­tive spaces was found.

The Town Hall’s refurbishm­ent budget has blown out since its inception in 2013, with council approving an upper cost estimate of $329 million last October.

A report from chancellor John Allen noted that while it was an exciting project, it was “complicate­d” by the costs and uncertaint­ies –including seismic and climate-related risks – of building in that location.

“Music is important to us, as are the relationsh­ips with the WCC and NZSO, but we also need to ensure we can afford this project and can manage the risks. Otherwise, the opportunit­y gained through the financial sustainabi­lity process will be lost,” he wrote.

Victoria University of Wellington vice-chancellor Nic Smith said uncertaint­y around the costs and form of completing both phases of the project had been challengin­g.

“This university is home to one of the leading music schools in Australasi­a,” he said.

“As we emerge from our recent financial challenges with optimism for the future, being able to offer excellent music education and performanc­e in the heart of Pōneke Wellington will be an important part of reinvigora­ting the university and its role in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.”

The university was mindful of the need to ensure it completed its involvemen­t in the national music centre within its existing financial obligation­s, while still working towards financial sustainabi­lity, he said.

“We have opportunit­ies across our portfolio of assets that we will now develop in more detail to enable us to continue this project and realise the exciting vision while not negatively impacting our financial future.”

A fundraisin­g campaign, led by former Wellington mayor Dame Kerry Prendergas­t, has raised about $32m for the project.

“In bringing together academia, local government, sound recording and the arts, we’re not just creating a centre for music, we’re fostering a hub for creativity, collaborat­ion, and cultural enrichment,” she said. “This is an investment in the future of our capital city and the wider region, and one which will inspire generation­s to come.”

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said it was a “wonderful collaborat­ion” which would bring vibrancy to the city through the revitalise­d Te Ngākau precinct. “This arrangemen­t is key to the much-anticipate­d establishm­ent of the national music centre in Te Ngākau Civic Square – it'll breathe life back into the precinct.”

NZSO chief executive Peter Biggs said that by confirming a new home within the Te Ngākau Civic Square Precinct, the orchestra would be able to utilise every advantage to what would be the “first music centre of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere”.