Hunter Building
Encyclopedia
The Hunter Building is the original building of the Victoria University of Wellington
campus in Wellington
, New Zealand
. Built mostly of red brick in the Gothic revival style, it was opened by the Governor of New Zealand, Lord Plunket, in 1904, although construction was not completed until 1906. Initially the building housed the entire university, but as staff and student numbers grew other buildings were added. After World War I, a stained-glass memorial window was added to the library in commemoration of staff and students who had died in the war. The Hunter Building gradually become dilapidated and an earthquake risk, and there were demolition plans. In 1981 the building was added to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
register as a Category I historic building. Public and campus pressure led to the building being saved from demolition. It has since been restored and earthquake strengthened. It now hosts various administrative offices and the university's council chamber, which occupies the old library.
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
campus in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Built mostly of red brick in the Gothic revival style, it was opened by the Governor of New Zealand, Lord Plunket, in 1904, although construction was not completed until 1906. Initially the building housed the entire university, but as staff and student numbers grew other buildings were added. After World War I, a stained-glass memorial window was added to the library in commemoration of staff and students who had died in the war. The Hunter Building gradually become dilapidated and an earthquake risk, and there were demolition plans. In 1981 the building was added to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
register as a Category I historic building. Public and campus pressure led to the building being saved from demolition. It has since been restored and earthquake strengthened. It now hosts various administrative offices and the university's council chamber, which occupies the old library.