Opened in 1992, the International Antarctic Centre (IAC) at Christchurch International Airport is one of the country’s premier educational attractions, having welcomed millions of visitors since that time.
In 2018, a decision was made by the IAC to carry out a number of asset and infrastructure upgrades at the centre, as part of a larger redevelopment project. Paula Granger of Ipsum Group was engaged as Project Manager and local architectural firm Design Factum drew up plans for the centre’s redesign.
In 2019, Citycare Property was appointed to deliver the project, which was designed to be delivered in four stages. Work on Stage 1 — which included upgrades to the foyer and cafe areas, exterior crack repairs and a full exterior paint — commenced in late-2019 and was completed by March 2020.
Christchurch’s International Antarctic Centre has recently undergone a rebranding exercise and a refresh.
“The International Antarctic Centre redevelopment project was originally slated to be a four-year project,” says Paula. “We worked with Citycare Property for the first 18 months of that timeline to get us through to consent stage, as well as working initially on those aspects that didn’t require consent. We were able to achieve Stage 1, which is what I refer to as the ‘Welcome Stage’ — creating an accessible visitor experience and making the place attractive — as well as the Antarctica 101 space before COVID came and crashed the party.”
Delivering on all aspects of the project
Paula says one of the key aspects to any project, is budget and an integral element of the project’s delivery was working with the Citycare Property team on making sure they were able to execute the architect’s vision while staying within budget constraints.
“At the start of the process, we had an independent quantity surveyor come in and cost the whole project, all four stages. Then it was my job to work with Citycare Property’s quantity surveyor, Gary Brawley, in order to make the project a reality and to fit within the allocated budget.
“Gary was fantastic. He's very detail orientated and we went through each part of the project, space by space, line item by line item, making sure that all the details were captured and that there weren’t going to be any surprises for the client at the end of the day. I couldn't speak highly enough of Gary and the process that we went through together as a team.”
Visitors to the centre can get a crash course on the history of human occupation of Antarctica while they wait to enter.
Another critical aspect of the project was ensuring the centre remained operational at all times. The Citycare Property team worked with Paula and the IAC on a programmed schedule that allowed this happen.
“Through a combination of working at night and ensuring works areas were never fully closed down, I’m proud to say that there were no operational losses to IAC,” says Citycare Property’s Project Manager, Thomas Parackal. “Many of projects we undertake in the capital works space are on live sites, so a lot of what we do is making sure that the sites are functional and that we have as little impact as possible on day-to-day operations and I think that's where we add a value of difference.”
Welcome to Antarctica!
“Antarctica 101 — the first space that visitors come into once they've come through the foyer and talked to the staff — is an amazing space that was created out of quite a different environment,” says Paula. “Believe it or not, there was a massive penguin rookery in here with waves of Antarctic ice and various huts. Citycare Property did an incredible job decommissioning the whole space and creating a theatre to showcase Anthony Powell’s amazing visuals.”
Paula Granger of Ipsum Group, and Thomas Parackal, Citycare Property Project Manager, in the newly revamped foyer to the International Antarctic Centre.
The space has been designed to do ‘double duty’— one, as a daytime experience where visitors can come in and get an introduction to Antarctica, and the other, as an after-hours venue space for hire, acting as the backdrop and allowing guests to explore the wider attraction as they'd like.
“Working on the International Antarctic Centre has been one of the greatest, most fulfilling projects that I could ask to be involved with,” says Thomas. “And now, as tourists both local and international begin returning to Christchurch in earnest, we are looking forward to delivering the remaining stages of this incredible attraction.”