The historic building on the Manawatū campus won the Heritage category award at the New Zealand Architecture Awards, as well as a Master Builders Gold Award.
The work on the building, which was finished last year, was guided by Studio of Pacific Architecture Limited and completed by builders L. T. McGuinness from Wellington.
The Refectory was constructed in 1930 for the newly established Massey Agricultural College in Palmerston North. The building was designed in a simple Spanish Mission style by renowned architect Roy Alstan Lippincot.
The Refectory was one of the first buildings constructed at the Manawatū Campus and is in a prominent position overlooking the grassed Cricket Oval, at the heart of the university.
It was the original dining hall and social space shared by staff and students. It was later converted into a teaching space when a larger dining hall was opened for the growing student population.
The Refectory building in the 1960s
The building, which has category two status on the New Zealand Heritage List, had been empty since 2013 due to the need for seismic strengthening as part of the multi-million dollar restoration.
Studio Pacific undertook careful analysis of the original construction documents and old photographs and comprehensively surveyed the existing building. The building was modelled as a three-dimensional computer model which documented how to restore the refurbished spaces back to their original state and was used to test the impact of various strengthening strategies.
Studio Pacific Architecture’s refurbishment ensures that Lippincott’s classic interpretation of the Spanish Mission style is revealed in both the exterior and interior of the building. The original grandeur of the refectory hall is restored, providing a unique function space for the university and Palmerston North.
The judges of the New Zealand Architecture Award commented that the carefully managed restoration returns the building to its original configuration, while addressing accessibility and environment.
The judge’s comments say: “Intelligently located seismic work integrates with the existing fabric and belies the complexity of these interventions. Where possible, existing heritage elements have been meticulously reinstated. Heritage discoveries are sensitively retained and expressed, returning layers of history and use.
“The architects’ decision to reinstate the building’s configuration and reassemble the central volume in its original condition, using reconstructed plasterwork, lighting and decorative features, brings this heritage building back to life. Their rigorous process contributes greatly to the project’s success.”
The New Zealand Architecture Awards honour the best architecture produced in New Zealand in a given year.
Earlier in the year, the Refectory won Gold in the Heritage & Restoration Category at the New Zealand Registered Master Builders Commercial Project Awards.
The Commercial Project Awards sets the benchmark for commercial construction in New Zealand and celebrates collaboration and innovation across the building industry.
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