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The redeveloped Dunedin Centre will be a fantastic addition to conference and event facilities in New Zealand. By integrating three of the city’s most significant heritage buildings into a single state-of-the-art complex, the Centre will set a new standard for venues in this country. Add to that the ease of running a conference in the city centre, within walking distance of accommodation, restaurants, and bars, and you have the recipe for an outstanding and memorable event.

Working drawings for the Dunedin Centre redevelopment are complete and the contract will go to tender in April 2010. The overall project is expected to be complete in early 2013.

Disruption to the Public

While everything possible will be done to minimise the impact of construction on the public, users and tenants, given the size of the project, it is inevitable there will be some disruptions.

Harrop Street will be closed for health and safety reasons during the Dunedin Centre construction period. The taxi stand will stay in the Octagon, but the taxi waiting area will be moved into Stuart Street outside the Cathedral. Harrop Street will eventually be closed to through traffic, but remain open to pedestrians and service vehicles.

The Metro Cinema will stay where it is, but will have to close for around four months during construction and may be affected at other times.

The men's toilets in Municipal Lane may be closed for around four months for construction work and alternative arrangements will be made during that time.

Municipal Chambers

Work will start in the Municipal Chambers in June 2010 and this stage of construction should be finished by April 2011. Three new function rooms will be created in the historic Municipal Chambers building, which faces the Octagon. This building was not part of the Dunedin Centre complex and it will increase the flexibility of the conference and function facilities available. These rooms will each seat up to 120 people, depending on room layouts, and feature beautifully appointed heritage interiors. There will be one room on the ground floor and two on the first floor connecting to the Glenroy Auditorium’s mezzanine level.

Dunedin Centre

At the heart of the redevelopment is the transformation of the Dunedin Centre into a multi-purpose performance and conference venue, including a main auditorium and mezzanine, seating 400, on the ground floor. Foyer spaces for both these rooms will be significantly increased and a new entrance from Harrop Street will also greatly enhance this area. This stage of construction will start in April 2011 and should be finished in early 2013.

Town Hall

The Town Hall will remain open until late October 2011 and will then be closed until December 2012. The historic Town Hall auditorium will be unchanged apart from new seating and general refurbishment. It caters for up to 2,500 people, trade display space, or seating for up to 550 for formal dinners. There will also be a new glass atrium entrance built on Moray Place and much better access created between the Town Hall and the Glenroy Auditorium.

Technological enhancements

Throughout the complex, close attention will be paid to the technological requirements for modern conferences and events. The building will be divided into four zones, each with its own audio visual room with numerous ‘plug-in points’ for power, data, and audio visual. This will offer complete flexibility in each space regardless of whether it is being used for a conference, trade show, dinner or other function. This flexibility will extend across the spaces, allowing users numerous potential configurations for conference and meeting set-up. Acoustically, there will be a balance between performance and conference requirements.