Robert McDougall's Generosity Funds Art Gallery Construction

See this building right here, the Robert McDougall Gallery? It's considered one of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s most beautiful heritage buildings. It's been closed since February 2011 because it was assessed as earthquake-prone.

Before this building existed, the main places to see art in Christchurch were the Canterbury Museum and the Canterbury Society of Arts exhibitions. In the 1920s, the Christchurch City Council wanted a dedicated public art gallery, but in 1925, a referendum on taking out a loan to build one failed.

That's where Robert McDougall came in. He was a local businessman who made his money from the biscuit manufacturing company Aulsebrooks. He had a strong philanthropic side, benefiting charitable institutions and providing things like a welfare league, a library, tennis courts, and a bowling green for his factory staff.

McDougall offered to fund the gallery's construction if the Council provided the site. Edward Armstrong won the architectural competition with a neoclassical brick design. The building was finished in 1932, costing £31,745, with McDougall paying almost all of it. When Mayor Daniel Sullivan received the final check, he said the city had one of the finest art galleries in the Dominion, free from debt.

The gallery initially held about 160 works, mostly from the Canterbury Society of Arts. Over time, the city's art collection grew, outgrowing this building. The Robert McDougall Gallery closed in 2002 and was replaced as the city’s public art gallery by Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, which opened in 2003.

The Museum occupied this building under an agreement with the Christchurch City Council in 2003 and held art exhibitions here until the earthquake. The most recent exhibition, *The Heart of the Great Alone*, featuring Antarctic photography, was open when the earthquake hit on February 22, 2011. Luckily, none of the photos were damaged.

After the quakes, this building was found to be below 34% of New Zealand Building Code requirements due to its unreinforced, single-skin internal brick walls. As an Importance Level 3 public building, it's subject to stricter code requirements. It's been closed for over a decade, but strengthening is now underway. The Christchurch City Council has leased the building to the Museum and is providing funding for its strengthening. The first stage involves inserting steel rods into the walls. Base isolation is also planned to bring it up to 100% of the code.