New Visitors Centre for Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Leighs Construction will build the new visitor and staff facilities on the current nursery site at the Gardens, Mayor Bob Parker announced today.

“The new building will be stunning and a wonderful addition to our City. It will enhance our ability to reach out to visitors and provide Botanic Gardens staff with much-needed facilities. 

“The Botanic Gardens are one of New Zealand’s most beautiful public spaces, with more than a million visits made each year by locals and tourists. For many of us, the Gardens were a sanctuary during the quakes and remain a restorative environment during times of stress.”

Designed by leading architects, Patterson Associates, the centre will be an improved destination for Christchurch residents and visitors with engaging displays and exhibitions, a hub for meetings and a café for enjoying the surroundings at leisure.  The centre will also house glasshouses, a nursery, offices, a herbarium and a library.

Mayor Bob Parker says the Visitor Centre will enhance the Gardens’ world-class reputation and provide the community with the chance to enjoy a coffee with family or friends in a stylish, serene setting. At present, the tea kiosk in the Gardens is closed and staff facilities do not meet the current building code.

The centre will see currently inaccessible lawn and riverbank areas opened up for people to enjoy, says City Environments General Manager Jane Parfitt, who signed the contract at an event today.

 “It’s the 150th anniversary of the Botanic Gardens in 2013 and we’re hoping to complete the centre by December next year so we can open it as part of the celebrations.”

Pattersons won a concept design competition in 2009, with the selection panel admiring the simplicity and clarity of the proposal. The Council approved the project, with a budget of $10.3 million, as part of its 2009-19 Long Term Council Community Plan. 

After earthquake-related delays, expressions of interest to construct the Visitor Centre were sought in March 2012 and three tenders for the project were received in September 2012.

The cost of the project has increased since the budget was approved in 2009 and it is now estimated at $16.4 million. Since the earthquakes, changes have been made to the steel structural elements and foundations of the building to meet the revised building code. Other reasons for the cost increase include increases across all labour and material rates in the post-earthquake construction market. Environmentally-friendly bio-gas fuel has been added to the project at an increased cost but it is expected to pay for itself within five years through lower running costs.

Frequently asked questions

Why is a new visitor centre being proposed for the Botanic Gardens?
This project aligns with the Council’s vision of Christchurch Botanic Gardens becoming a world-class attraction. More than a million visits a year are made to the Botanic Gardens by tourists and locals. At present, staff facilities do not meet the current building code and the tea kiosk in the Gardens is closed.

What facilities will the new visitor centre provide?
 The new visitor centre will be an improved destination for Christchurch residents and visitors, providing seasonal, interactive and fun information about the Botanic Gardens, a hub for meeting, and a centre for science, research and education. It will include:

• a multi-function seminar/education room
• interactive displays of the Botanical collection
• nursery facilities with greenhouses
• a café
• potting areas
• a herbarium
• a library/archive area
• staff spaces
• equipment and maintenance storage areas.

The centre opens out onto a new lawn area and onto the banks of the Avon River, which are currently inaccessible.  This new open area can be used for markets, performances, sculpture exhibitions and picnics.

How will the visitor centre enhance the work of the Botanic Gardens?
The new centre will enhance the Botanic Garden’s ability to undertake research, conservation and educational activities, as well as display the wonders of the botanical world. The vision for the Christchurch Botanic Gardens is that they will be at the forefront of presenting the treasures of the plant world to the community. The new Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre will reach out to visitors with engaging displays and exhibitions and provide Botanic Gardens staff with the facilities they need to do the job to the best of their ability. The nursery area, where plants are grown for the grounds and conservatories, will come into full view for the first time. The reference library and herbarium, which are important for research and education, will also be revealed.

What is the project’s history?
2009 - The Council approves the project as part of its 2009-19 Long Term Community Council Plan; Patterson Associates from Auckland win the design competition.
2010-2012 - Earthquake-related delays, changes to the building design to meet the revised building code
March 2012 - Expressions of interest to construct the Visitors Centre open
September 2012 - Three tenders for the project are received
December 2012 – The Council signs off the project

Why are you going ahead with a glass design?
Some changes have been made to the building design to ensure it complies with the revised building code post earthquakes. The glass used extensively in other modern buildings, such as Christchurch Art Gallery, has weathered the quakes well. The extensive use of glass will allow a sense of spaciousness. It is light and airy and the glass exterior will give a great view of the surrounding trees and plants. The design of the new centre is in the spirit of classic garden architecture found in the city’s own Cuningham House and Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. The glass exterior will also keep the public in touch with the centre’s daily operations. The building will be a living, transpiring and inspiring part of the daily workings of the Botanic Gardens.

What is the budget for the project?
The 2009-19 long term plan budget for this project was $10.3 million.  This budget did not include any fees for the period after the resource consent had been issued. Through the building design phase, the project team worked closely with the architect to ensure the budget was maintained.  To achieve this, the overall area of the building was reduced from 3600 square metres to 2900 square metres. The estimated budget (including a bio-gas estimate of $750,000) to complete the project is now $16.4 million. The remaining project budget is $9.0 million so another $7.4 million is needed.

Why has the cost increased?
There are several reasons, including:

• Changes to the building design to ensure it complies with the revised building code. These changes were mainly to the steel structural elements and foundations of the building.
• The post-earthquake construction market has changed significantly, with increases across all labour and material rates.
• The procurement and supply of glass is subject to currency fluctuation.
• The previous budget did not allow for any consultancy or Council fees post the building consent application stage of the project.
• The previous budget did not allow for any external works including paths, paving and planting associated with the project.
• Bio-gas fuel has been added to the project

Why has bio-gas fuel been added to the project?
Bio-gas fuel is an alternative to diesel or bio-diesel.  There is an opportunity to supply the new Visitors Centre with bio-gas from the Council Civic building on Hereford Street during off peak hours (7pm to 5am).  A 1000 kilowatt bio-gas boiler would heat six 16,500 litre tanks of ground-supplied cold water overnight, with the hot water then heating the new building during the day.  While the initial cost of installing a bio-gas system is significant, the running costs are much lower, with the current cost of bio-gas $0.04 cents per unit.  The new system will pay for itself within five years, based the Botanic Garden’s current diesel consumption cost of $180,000 a year.

What about the other closed facilities in the Botanic Gardens reopening?
Some earthquake-affected facilities in the gardens are closed as part of the Council’s facilities rebuild programme. This programme is currently looking at the future of the 1600 buildings the Council owns. For the latest information on the programme see: www.ccc.govt.nz/thecouncil/councilfacilities/index.aspx

Townend, Garrick/Gilpin, Cuningham and Foweraker Glasshouses in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens are significant features in the gardens, both for their grandeur and for their impressive plant collections. Due to the upcoming 150th anniversary of the Botanic gardens and the importance of the glasshouses to the community, the glasshouses are one of 30 projects prioritised by the Council for funding, further investigations and, if possible, repairs.