#sargood

[jesspellow]

Could think of worse places to be! #sargood #sargoodoncollaroy @sargoodoncollaroy (at Sargood On Collaroy) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzmh0Zin4ft/?igshid=13htkj00hgix7

[sunshineisbottled]

Sargood Centre, Logan Park

The Sargood Centre at Logan Park has recently been taken over, and more importantly, restored by the Otago Institute of Sports. I remember it best as the former Dunedin Public Art Gallery-a sanctuary for my teenaged friends and me on rainy afternoons in the late 80s/early 90s.

History

The origins of this building and other buildings in the complex lie in probably the greatest show to hit New Zealand shores EVER. Dunedin was chosen to host the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition opening in November 1925.

By the time it closed in May 1925, it had attracted over 3.2 million visitors, more than double the population of New Zealand at the time. Read more on NZ History Online.

The building housed Dunedin's public art collection during the Exhibition and when it closed, Sir Peter and Lady Sargood bought the building to donate to the city in remembrance of their son who died at Gallipoli in the First World War. The Gallery moved to the Octagon in 1996.

Restoration

The ceiling and exterior has been completely restored and converted for the purposes of the current tenants, Otago Institute of Sports. Office space is light and spacious with the addition of floor to ceiling windows and I could see a fully kitted-out gym space through one of the many glass doors. What I loved were the references to the original building and history.

A map of the Otago Peninsula on the floor of main atrium

The kitchen doors are decorated with rings of a rata tree that had to be removed from the front of the building

Loved this Denis Glover quote on the wall of a meeting room - who knew?

And finally in front of the building, paving stones bordering a raised lawn tell the story of the building and surrounds (eleven in total so keep scrolling!)  ^J