Representatives of the New Zealand Institute of Architects hand Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton the architecture award for Chateau Tongariro. PHOTO SUPPLIED
The Chateau Tongariro was awarded the Enduring Architecture Award from the Western Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects in New Plymouth last week.
The award, presented to Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton last Friday, was designed to celebrate projects that had stood the test of time for 25 years or more.
The chateau was nominated by several member architects in light of its recent closure.
In accepting the award, Weston said the chateau was arguably the district’s most iconic and cherished historic building.
“It has been one of New Zealand’s grandest hotels with a historic value that has contributed both charm and character to the region,” he said.
“Its reputation, cultural and historical significance attracted visitors from around New Zealand and the world, eager to experience its timeless elegance and immerse themselves in the surrounding natural beauty of the World Heritage Tongariro National Park.
Designed in the Neo-Georgian style, the hotel had stood as a testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of the past.
Its distinctive appearance was a symbol of Ruapehu’s tourism heritage that contributed to the overall tourism appeal of the region.
Singapore-based tourism company Kah New Zealand, which previously held the lease, closed the chateau in April, handing the building back to the Department of Conservation which owns the land beneath it.
Kah’s 30-year lease expired in April 2020, though it had continued running the chateau under a series of short-term renewals.
When doing due diligence for a possible longer-term lease renewal, Kah sought a seismic assessment, which apparently found concerns.
DOC has not seen the report and has commissioned its own review. Meanwhile, it has been treating the building as a seismic hazard.
The senior vice-president of commercial and digital strategy for Kah’s Singapore-based parent company, Bayview International Hotels and Resorts, Kevin Peeris, told RNZ that Kah would share its report with DOC, “once all negotiations, which are ongoing, have been concluded”.
“The most recent seismic assessment found that underground shifts over time have meant some of the hotel infrastructure no longer meets current safety standards,” he said.
