From the Resene News – issue 4/2008

High shine - Museum Hotel
The Museum Hotel has the unusual honour of being the largest building ever relocated in New Zealand, with its 120 metre journey down an inner city street on railway tracks in 1993, ending up on the opposite side of the road from where it started. It originally stood where Te Papa now graces the waterfront and was destined for destruction until Chris Parkin, the owner, made the bold decision to move not bust. Old-fashioned railway technology was used for the move, with its track load-spreading ability being especially important transferring such a weight across reclamation.

Mainzeal Construction, Dunning Thornton Consultants and Building Solutions Ltd collaborated on the project with four months of work required for the separation of the hotel from its foundation and just two days for the move itself. The building reached its destination in perfect condition and less than one centimetre out of line. Just five months after the moving project started the hotel reopened for business in late 1993.

And today, you would never know it hadn’t stood in its current spot for its full life.

The Museum Hotel has always been known for its bold colour choices and striking personality and the latest refurbishment is no exception.

Outside the hotel is finished with Resene Sandtex Mediterranean texture followed by Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Nero (blue black).

The owner’s apartment enjoys interior feature walls styled with Florence Broadhurst and Anya Larkin Rick Rack designs from the Swinson wallcoverings range, while metallic finish Resene Magma (red gold metallic) gleams out from under the curtains in the grand entrance.

Stepping outside the norm, ceilings are not finished in the ubiquitous flat white but instead feature Resene Broadwall 3 in 1 for a level 5 finish sealed with Resene Sureseal and then two coats of Resene Super Gloss enamel in Resene Black. From flat white to black gloss, the transformation is remarkable. This system is continued onto skirtings, door architraves, doors and the commanding spiral staircase. The bright gloss creates drama and interest against the soft tones of the Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen walls.

Bedroom areas are finished in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in hues of Resene Half Thorndon Cream (green neutral) complemented by ceilings in Resene Zylone 20 waterborne flat in the same hue.

Surprising and delightful, the effect is uplifting.

Architect: Angela McCarthy-Foster, Foster Architects
Building Contractor: Arrow International, Freear Philip, Pololitos, Spencer Construction
Painting Contractors: Kensington & Associates, Freear Philip
Glass: Metroglass
Designers - Chris Parkin’s Apartment: Fijn Design; Angela McCarthy-Foster, Foster Architects  
Designers – Foyer: Lizz Santos, Cut the Mustard; Angela McCarthy-Foster, Foster Architects .  
Designers - Hotel Interiors: Stuart Harris; Martin Hughes; Angela McCarthy-Foster, Foster Architects  
Engineers: Peter Johnston and Malcolm McGechie, Romulus Consulting
Resene: Darren Morgan, Wellington Sales Manager; Maggie Bruce, Architectural Services Representative; Ben Frean, Trade Sales Representative
www.museumhotel.co.nz

 
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