The water tower tank will be replaced.
The water tower tank will be replaced.
Heritage New Zealand has approved work at two protected buildings in Cambridge – the Museum and the Water Tower.
The museum building, built by Fred Potts in 1909 for the Court House and used until 1979, needs seismic upgrading.
The tower, in front of Resthaven on Payne Park, opened in 1903 and supplied Cambridge with water until 1926. It has a corroded water tank and steel work.
Waipā District Council Property Projects manager John Miles told the Finance and Corporate committee this week the council had to reroof the museum building and complete seismic upgrading.
“We need to pin the parapet back to the building and there are a few issues with the chimneys.”
Following approval of the plans from Heritage New Zealand, council had submitted the resource consent.
A structural engineer is preparing working drawings for the building consent application, said Miles.
Staff engaged a structural engineer to provide a set of drawings and methodology for the tower.
The tower stands 21 metres round and 24 metres high, is supported by a lower wall over half a metre thick and is topped by a brick-lined metal tank with a lead roof.
“We’ve got feedback from Heritage NZ that we can remove the tank and put up a piece of steel which purports to represent the tank,” he said.
The bricks were laid in the English bond pattern, renowned for its strength, with decorative features that included a regular pattern of bluestone topped ventilation windows and several horizontal rows of brick dentil pattern.
