As the restoration of the Chapel progresses and the aged roof tiles have been removed, it’s become clear that the extent of the deterioration to the existing plywood underneath is more significant than anticipated.
A combination of leaking gutters, untreated plywood and previous installation faults means that large areas of rot have developed resulting in a huge increase in the cost of restoring the Chapel.
Chapel trustee and project architect, Dr Peter Parkes describes the extent of the building issues.
“We always knew that we would need to remove sections of the roof to better understand what we’re dealing with but with such extensive damage as well as the discovery of asbestos in areas we didn’t expect we are going to need about $600,000 more to continue the project”, says Peter.
Since the project began in May this year, a complex system of scaffolding has been erected and the Chapel cloaked in white plastic to protect it from the elements for the duration of the project. A work platform has been set up as a mezzanine floor in the porch area to eliminate damage to the village green and maintain amenity for surrounding neighbours.
Integral to the overall aesthetics of the building, the new roof will reinstate the original look of the Chapel with white porcelain tiles laid in a diagonal pattern with a copper edge flashing.
“The Laminam sheets have now arrived from Italy and are currently being cut into tiles identical to the original James Hardie asbestos cement tiles used in 1961”, describes Peter.
Equally important to the Chapel’s unique architecture are the coloured perspex windows that create the rainbow of light against the interior walls. Time and New Zealand’s strong UV rays have seen the colours in the windows deteriorate. However, the Trust has decided not to replace the badly faded ones in this current project. “The timber window frames will still be repaired, strengthened and repainted in original 1960 colours. Noticeably, the windows will feature the original red pinstripe and this against the very dark brown, almost black, window beading and weatherboards will make the exterior of the building sing again” says Peter.
“The colour of the window frames and the surrounds presented a small challenge from a conservation perspective; there appears to have been two different colours in the past, one time red and for most of the life of the building they were white” says Peter. Dulux have been engaged to investigate the layers of colours.
Seeking support to cover the additional costs of restoring the Chapel, the Trust has established a fundraising campaign that offers people an opportunity to be involved in the legacy of the building by gifting a tile or donating cash.
Gifts can be made by visiting Futuna’s Future – Futuna Chapel, Wellington and clicking on one of the three buttons at the bottom of the page or by scanning the QR codes below. Gifts are tax deductible.
Futuna Chapel Trust is extremely grateful to NZ Lotteries, Stout Trust, Lion Foundation, Wellington City Council, private donors and the Nikau Foundation for their support.
Spring Equinox (2024) | Equirectangular 360 scenography of the Chapel interior. Photo: Malcolm Doidge