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Unwrapping an Icon – Episode 4: It’s the outside that counts
Friday, 27 June 2025
Brb, just googling how to become a heritage architectural specifier đŠâđ¨ Turns out there’s a lot more to the world of heritage restoration!! Here’s a peak at what the Watts & Hughes team have been undertaking to get our Rotorua Museum looking beautiful for re-opening, plus keeping its status as…
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Unwrapping an Icon – Episode 3: The 100 Year Leak
Thursday, 5 June 2025
Rotorua Museumâs roof: older than your nanaâs kettle and twice as leaky! Watch the latest Unwrapping an Icon: The Hundred Year Leak! Tune in for tales from the top and find out how this historic icon is getting a watertight future.
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Unwrapping an Icon â Episode 2: Wrap and Scaff
Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Youâve seen it wrapped up like a giant present â now itâs time to meet the real stars holding it all together⌠the scaff and wrap! In this episode of Unwrapping an Icon, weâre lifting the veil (and the wrap) on the incredible network of scaffolding thatâs making the Rotorua…
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Unwrapping an Icon – Episode One
Thursday, 17 April 2025
Itâs not a makeover, itâs a seismic strengthening glow-up Move over Netflix⌠thereâs a new show in town. Introducing Unwrapping an Icon â the drama, the dust, the deep foundations đˇââď¸ Weâre going behind the scenes of the epic Rotorua Museum rebuild â hard hats, high hopes, and maybe a…
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Honouring tĹŤpuna â The search for photos of B Company 28th MÄori Battalion Soldiers
Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa is searching for photos of B Company 28th MÄori Battalion soldiers for a special exhibition that will be housed within the Museum when it reopens. If whÄnau and friends have photos of any of B Company members, particularly in their uniform and…
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Project Update – Infrastructure and Environment Committee Meeting (5 March 2025)
Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Hear from Will Bamford (Rotorua Museum Project Programme Manager) as he gives a build project report to Councillors. Topics covered: ⢠1/3 of the way through the build project (expected build project to conclude in September 2026) ⢠Scaffolding inside the building to supports structure while being strengthened internally ⢅
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Iconic Museum stairs temporarily removed
The iconic Rotorua Museum dual staircases have been temporarily removed to allow for seismic strengthening of the floor and walls of the central hall. Local joinery company, Lee Brothers, have worked on several heritage projects over the years and will complete the removal, refurbishment and reinstallation of the grand stairs.…
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Tiles starting to be laid on North Wing roof
Monday, 3 March 2025
Following the completion of the strengthening roof works, the iconic terracotta orange Marseille roof tiles are being laid on the North wing! This follows the addition of strengthening structural ply to the roof frame and installation of a new âwarm roofing systemâ which adds to the robustness and longevity of…
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Heritage restoration on damaged droppers
Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Meet Tom! He is one of the talented tradesmen from Watts & Hughes working on restoring any damaged or decayed timber elements on the exterior Rotorua Museum building. Currently focused on the central and northern wings, Tom and the project architects, DPA Architects, remove the decay back to sound timber…
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Looking Back – The inspiration behind the Bath House building
Monday, 16 December 2024
As the strengthening and redevelopment of Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa strides along, we thought we would take a little look back on why the Bath House building (home to Rotorua Museum) looks like it does! In 1901 responsibility for the spa, and the administration of the…