City Talks: Extreme Conservation – Conserving Architectural Heritage in Antarctica
Architects Chris Cochran and Pip Cheshire (pictured here) will be talking about conservation of Architecture in Antarctica at the next City Talks event on 15 April in Wellington.
Against the most hostile conditions the will to protect a few lonely huts is unyielding. This is what makes Antarctica unique. The huts of the heroic-era, left behind by Scott, Shackleton, and Borchgrevink, are internationally recognised as historically important. These huts are now protected by the Antarctic treaty and actively cared for by the Antarctic Heritage Trust based in Christchurch.
Architects Chris Cochran and Pip Cheshire have been closely involved in the conservation of all these buildings. They will discuss the legislative and philosophical basis behind the conservation of the buildings, and the hands-on challenges of remoteness, environment and logistics faced by the conservation teams that have been working over the last ten summer seasons to bring them back from the brink.
City Talks is an ongoing series initiated by the New Zealand Institute of Architects Wellington Branch and presented in partnership with City Gallery Wellington and WCC Venues Subsidy. Its purpose is to foster discussion about architecture for a broader audience in a city that cares to openly discuss ideas relevant to our future.
The event takes palce on 15 April 2019 at 6pm at City Gallery Wellington. The talk will be followed by refreshments.
Learn more about this topic in our series from Architecture New Zealand magazine with an introduction, a timeline of the history of building on the continent, an exploration of Antarctica’s historic huts and an interview with Hugh Broughton and Stephen Middleton on the future of the built environment on The Big Ice.