Futuna Chapel was once central to the Futuna Retreat Centre in Karori, and despite the sale and redevelopment of the site in c.2000, the building continues to be an important landmark in New Zealand’s architectural history.
The Futuna Retreat Centre was founded in 1948 by priests and brothers of the Society of Mary (Marists) from the conversion of “Kennoway”, an Edwardian villa that had been built for Sydney Kirkcaldie in 1906. The Marist order was founded in Lyons, France, in 1824, and was established in New Zealand with the arrival of Bishop Pompallier and companions in 1838 in the Hokianga. The name “Futuna” derives from the tiny island of Futuna, 20 km north-east of Fiji, where the Marist proto-martyr of Polynesia, Fr Pierre Chanel, was murdered on 28 April 1841. Pierre Chanel was canonised in 1955.
The initial sketch design for the Chapel was prepared in 1957 by one of the lay brothers, Albert Kelly, who was an architect before his vocation to the order. This design was rejected by the order, and with the appointment of Fr James Beban, Futuna’s third superior, architect John Scott was invited in 1958 to prepare designs. These early sketches include initial designs for the Chapel drawn beside sketches of Wharenui and are evidence of the deliberate fusion between Maori and Pakeha architectural traditions in the Chapel’s design.
John Scott was the first Maori student at the School of Architecture, Auckland University. When he was appointed architect of the Chapel he had been in practice for 6 years, during which time he had built several houses, a school, and a chapel for his alma mater, St John’s College, Hastings.
Scott’s designs were somewhat controversial at the time, particularly with Albert Kelly who continued to be a vocal critic, but were finally approved by a meeting of the Provincial Council of the Society of Mary in April 1959. The permit was issued by the WCC in August 1959 and building commenced soon afterwards. The Chapel was built by seven of the Marist brothers, who carried out almost all of the work on site. The only tradesman employed was an electrician, as none of the brothers were suitably qualified. Work began by excavating and backfilling the former Kirkcaldie family tennis court to a depth of 18inches (45cm). The work was arduous, particularly the construction of the Chapel’s almost 8m high walls, the concrete for which was wheel-barrowed into place via a network of ramps. Artist and sculptor Jim Allen designed the coloured acrylic sheet windows, the ‘Stations of the Cross’, (some) mosaics and a fine mahogany Christ sculpture.
The opening ceremony took place on 19 March 1961. In “a simple and moving ceremony, accompanied by the Otaki Maori choir and in the presence of more than 2000 invited guests, the Archbishop of Wellington Peter McKeefry, blessed and declared the Chapel open”. Futuna Chapel was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal for the best building of 1968, and the inaugural 25 year Award from the NZIA in 1986. Russell Walden in his 1987 book “Voices of Silence” saw the building as a metaphor as a transition from the ‘colonial’ period of New Zealand’s architectural history, (where ‘good’ design was effectively copied from overseas), to a kind of cultural maturity that was manifested by a “living regional architecture …[that] embrace[d] Maori and Pakeha values.” To Walden, this Chapel building was one of a very few “authentic example[s] of indigenous New Zealand architecture.”
In 2000 the site was sold to developers who applied to redevelop the 5 ½ acre bush-clad garden site as a housing estate/retirement village. Concerns were raised about the density and design of the development, and about damage to the Chapel (particularly the roof, windows, pews and Christ statue) once work began on site. These issues led eventually to a change in the heritage rules for the Chapel which were amended in DPC 13 in March 2003 to provide protection for the building’s interior and setting. These rules were too late to prevent the loss of the Chapel’s original setting, and this is something that continues to be mentioned by the housing development’s many critics. But the plan change was able to effectively prevent the development of the Chapel into residential units, and the construction of further houses in its immediate surrounds.
The Friends of Futuna Charitable Trust purchased the Chapel in 2003 with some assistance from the WCC who now hold an encumbrance (2007) on the title to prevent the building from being altered, demolished or allowed to fall into disrepair. Trustees have included many architects or professionals in the construction industry, the former Minister of Culture and Heritage, a former Environment Court judge, local residents and members of the Scott family. Architects and others within the construction industry also make up the majority of the commercial sponsors, and this can be seen as a testament to the architectural and aesthetic significance of the building.
The Chapel was used as a builder’s site accommodation/ storage during the construction of the housing development and when the trust took possession of the property it was found that the mahogany Christ statue and the NZIA Gold Medal had been removed, along with the copper guttering and flashings. The trust carried out immediate repairs to make the building water-tight, and negotiated for the return of the NZIA gold medal. The mahogany statue of Christ was not recovered at this time. In 2009 works were carried out to (partially) re-roof the building, repair the floor and doors, upgrade the electrical installation, and install new gas heating and WC facilities. Further refurbishment work is planned to repair the timber work, roofs, coloured windows, and to decorate and landscape the building’s exterior.
The mahogany statue of Christ was found on an empty rural property in Taranaki in 2012, and returned “under a heavy police escort” in September of that year for a blessing ceremony before it was taken to Te Papa for conservation assessment and restoration.The Chapel is currently in use as a venue for religious and secular events including meetings, lectures, performances and seminars.
There are plans to extend the use of the Chapel as a spiritual and architectural retreat, and a home for the John Scott archive.
