Auckland Museum Has Received Funding for a New Gallery Space

Auckland War Memorial Museum (Tāmaki Paenga Hira) is set to open a new gallery space thanks to a generous cash injection from the Lottery Grants Board Significant Projects Fund. The $4.5 million grant will enable work to start on a new interactive gallery that will tell the stories of an evolving Tāmaki Makaurau – past, present and future.

The new permanent galleries (working title: Tāmaki Stories) will be a modular space where sections can be refreshed to reflect an evolving city story, while digital and interactive content will create an immersive experience for visitors.

Tāmaki Stories will not only present information on the history of the region, but also ask visitors to contribute to the narrative in what will become a barometer for the views and expressions of all Aucklanders.

Set to open in 2020 on the western side of the Museum's ground floor, Tāmaki Stories is part of a major, multi-year transformation program to modernise galleries and public spaces, and changing the way the Museum presents information. The refreshed physical spaces will allow the Museum to cater for increased visitation, with a goal of attracting 1.2 million visitors annually by 2022.

The transformation will eventually include new walkways on the ground floor, a new learning hub, and pathways to improve access across Auckland Domain from Parnell. New cafe 1929 launched in the South Atrium earlier this year.