The extensive three year redevelopment of the historic Auckland Art Gallery is nearly finished, adding unique Kiwi flourishes to the much-loved building while increasing its available space by 75%.

The new redevelopment project increased the exhibition space by a massive 75%. Previously it had 6350sq m available but now it will have almost 15,000sq m.

One of the most striking aspects of how the redevelopment has changed and extended the gallery is the new entrance foyer. Built where the courtyard with fountain was previously located, the new foyer makes the building appear more open and inviting from the street with its tall glass wall.

The 14.5m high tensioned glass facade looks out from the main atrium to Kitchener Street. There glass had to be sourced from America to satisfy performance and visual characteristics as defined by the Environment Court proceedings . A large chandelier, designed by a Korean artist, will be installed in the foyer for the first 12 months.

Kauri has been used to detail the soffits in and around the entrance canopies, but not a single tree was cut down for their creation. The 2,500sq m of Kauri represents ten years worth of the country’s supply capacity, and was painstakingly crafted by hand into prefabricated modules off site and then installed in place, the overall process consuming around 50,000 hours.

Terraces towards adjacent Albert Park help to integrate the building with the park. The terraces will also host sculptures by young New Zealand artists on the Northern side with more sculpture and some café tables on the Eastern side. The café will seat 130 people in total.