Chapel triumphs over tribulations
It has been vandalised, suffered from mould and been red-stickered but one of Wellington’s most historic buildings – Island Bay’s Erskine Chapel – has finally been restored.
Heritage New Zealand describes the chapel, designed by John Sydney Swan in 1929, as “a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture” and has a Category 1 listing.
Developer Ian Cassels, who oversaw the restoration, is delighted with the final product but said it had been an extremely hard project to complete.
“It was like walking over broken glass.” The newly restored chapel will officially be unveiled tomorrow, as it embarks on a new life as a wedding venue and home for Island Bay community events.
The chapel, which had been in a dilapidated state for many years, was bought by Cassels in 2000, when he acquired Erskine College.
He wanted to develop the site for housing but ran into significant legal problems because of opposition to his plans to demolish heritage buildings on the college site.
In 2018, the Environment Court ruled that the chapel must be restored before any other work, including demolition, could take place. Apartments were subsequently built on the college site, as the chapel was restored.
At that time Cassels said his plans had always included upgrading the chapel as a venue for weddings, functions and community events.
Having grown up in Island Bay, he took a personal interest in the chapel and wanted
to see it become a community asset.
Restoration proved to be a bigger headache than Cassels anticipated.
The complex work included strengthening unreinforced masonry buttresses with steel, tying back masonry and strengthening gable end walls with steel rods.
Much of the structural strengthening was hidden to ensure the chapel remained as it was in 1930. The re-roofing of its iconic ochre roof was also an enormous job for engineers. Once it had been earthquake strengthened, work began on the interior, which was suffering from mould blooms and was in poor condition.
There was a significant amount of carpentry involved to bring the kauri, Oregon,
rimu, jarrah, heart tōtara, heart mataī and baltic pine features, leadlight windows and Italian Carrera marble back to life.
The heritage restoration was guided by Adam Wild of Archifact, who said it was a significant job involving many talented craftspeople.
Cassels said all the hard work was worth it, however, and he considered it a “milestone“in the history of The Wellington Company.
“I am delighted with it, over the moon.” As well as saving the chapel, he had built 97 apartments in a small space, in the face of stiff opposition. It was an outcome that was difficult due to opponents who wanted the college buildings saved, at all cost, he said.
Describing those who wanted to save the entire site as “vaguely idiotic”, he said the only possible commercial use for the site was apartments and those living in the apartments were pleased with the final outcome.
The 2018 court decision recognised the college had ‘’outstanding’’ heritage significance.
Built in 1906 by the Society of the Sacred Heart, the school was a Catholic girls' boarding school until its closure in 1985. It was named after Mother Janet Erskine Stuart, the fifth Superior General of the society.
Heritage NZ said its “high social value” had been strongly demonstrated by the extensive campaign to protect the entire site, which was spearheaded by the formation of the Save Erskine College Trust in 1992. The trust was recognised as New Zealand's first non-government heritage protection authority.
By the time of the school’s closure, nearly 3000 girls had been educated at Erskine. A reunion in 1998 was attended by 800 former pupils, who expressed a strong emotional attachment to the college site.
Dr Jamie Jacob, central region director at Heritage NZ, was pleased to see the chapel restored.
“The chapel is regarded as one of the finest Gothic interiors in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its elegant proportions offer an exceptional acoustic quality which has seen many notable musical performances.”
There is a public open day and community fair at Erskine Chapel on Sunday, October 29, from 10am- 3pm. The chapel is available to hire and will also be used to support several community events each year.