As the oldest building in the Parliamentary precinct and one closely identified with the processes of parliament, the Parliamentary Library encompasses most of the historical and social values of the institution. It is an important example of Thomas Turnbull’s architectural proficiency despite Turnbull’s wish to disassociate his name from the building. Designed in the Gothic style to be compatible with a now lost neighbour, it is now part of a distinct but compatible trio of government buildings.
In 1992 a second fire struck the Parliamentary Library, severely damaging the main staircase, the plasterwork, the stained glass, and the roof. Later the same year, another fire destroyed some of the original toilets in the library’s basement. The 1990s saw the building refurbished. The library was moved into temporary accommodation on Bowen House and refurbishment commenced. Master craftsmen were commissioned to work on the elaborate stained glass and ornamental stone and plaster work. The project included recreating the 19th century lobby as a reception area and newspaper room. The exterior work included replication of the chimneys and the rebuilding of gables and ornaments that had been removed from the building following the 1942 and 1950s earthquakes. The refurbishment, along with Parliament House, included base isolating the buildings and introducing reinforced concrete to support the walls. The building now functions efficiently and meets modern information requirements and the needs of Parliament.
The General Assembly first met in Auckland in 1854 but a library was not established until 1865, when a select committee recommended that £100 be spent on books. The library originally was housed with the Auckland Provincial Council until the capital was transferred to Wellington in 1865. New premises were built to be used as a library alongside the Wellington Provincial Council chambers, which were later taken over by the General Assembly.
From 1865 the library’s holdings grew steadily and by 1872 8,000 volumes were listed in the catalogue. These were housed in six substantial rooms at the rear of Parliament buildings’ and heating was provided by open fires which was potentially hazardous for the library’s contents. The library became the country’s premier library. The collection kept on growing and finally flowed out into committee rooms and even the ladies’ tearooms and the offices of two ministers. It was apparent that a purpose built, and fireproof building was fast becoming a necessity.
In 1883 Thomas Turnbull had designed a brick addition for the timber General Assembly building and in 1897 was contracted by Premier Richard Seddon to design a new Parliamentary Library building. Turnbull produced a set of plans for an ornate three storey structure, Gothic in design, to match the General Assembly building. The foundation stone was laid on the 13 April 1898. Construction was hindered following the completion of the brickwork of the second storey, when Prime Minister Seddon decided that the £50,000 cost was prohibitive, and to save money the third storey would not be built. Turnbull was upset by this decision stating “the building, having been designed and proportioned for a three storey building, the cutting out of the third storey [will] have a dwarfing effect and would altogether spoil the architectural appearance of the edifice”. Turnbull demanded that his name be removed from the commemorative stone and disassociated himself from the project.
Government architect John Campbell completed the building, redesigning the parapets, gables, and roof to accommodate the reduction in the buildings height. The building was completed in 1899 but was not fully occupied until 1901 because the brick and plaster took some time to dry out.
The new library meant that the now 40, 000 volume collection had a permanent home. The General Assembly Act 1903 required copies of all books and periodicals published in New Zealand to be presented to the library, and as a result the library now possesses the most comprehensive collection of 20th century New Zealand productions. The library now had plenty of room, so collections also extended to include paintings, photographs and documents. By 1926 there were 110, 000 volumes, and 40 years later there were 300, 000.
The value of making the library fire proof became apparent in 1907 when a fire destroyed the parliamentary complex, except the library, which had been saved by its iron fire-door. As the flames got out of control, people hurriedly carried loads of books out of the library to safety – 8000 in the space of 45 minutes was reported by one newspaper.
In 1992 a second fire struck the Parliamentary Library, severely damaging the main staircase, the plasterwork, the stained glass, and the roof. Later the same year, another fire destroyed some of the original toilets in the library’s basement. The 1990s saw the building refurbished. The library was moved into temporary accommodation on Bowen House and refurbishment commenced. Master craftsmen were commissioned to work on the elaborate stained glass and ornamental stone and plaster work. The project included recreating the 19th century lobby as a reception area and newspaper room. The exterior work included replication of the chimneys and the rebuilding of gables and ornaments that had been removed from the building following the 1942 and 1950s earthquakes. The refurbishment, along with Parliament House, included base isolating the buildings and introducing reinforced concrete to support the walls. The building now functions efficiently and meets modern information requirements and the needs of Parliament.
