Cash for museum project

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 508, 19 October 1993, Page 1

Cash for museum project

The Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum recently recei ved a $250,000 donation from the Kippenberger family ' s Weston Foundation to go towards the constmction of the Kippenberger Pavilion, a new wing which will house a library, cafeteria and archives. The Museum ' s board of trustees and some members of staff attended a function held at the Beehive to accept the Weston donation along with $50,000 donated from Ma-rine-Air Systems, a defence manufacturer. Plans completed by architectural and interior design students from the Central Institute of Technology and Victoria University were also presented at the Beehive gathering. Museum Director, Captain Richard Taylor, was enthusiastic about some of the student's plans. "We're keen to adopt many of the CIT's interior design ideas, possibly by meshing the best aspects of several plans." The Kippenberger Pavilion will cost around $3 million and plans are already underway to start building in January for an opening mid to late 1 994. Funds for the new building will come from admissions and revenue raised by the Museum' s shop and cafeteria. In addition the Museum is seeking a grant from the Lotteries Board as well as corporate sponsorship. The Kippenberger Pavilion is named in honour of

Major General Sir Howard Kippenberger, a man hailed as probably the best New Zealand-born soldier. Following a distinguished career serving in both World Wars, Kippenberger was appointed Editor-in-Chief of New Zealand's Official War Histories. "He was noted for concentration upon the importance of military history," Captain Taylor said. Kippenberger' s personal library was bequeathed to the Department of Defence following his death in 1957 and has since been handed over to the Museum for safekeeping. This collection will form the core of the archives in the new pavilion. Distinguished architect Sir Miles Warren is the designer of the new wing. He was the designer of the original museum building and is well-known for designing several important buildings including the Christchurch Town Hall and the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington.