Some of the furniture from the Wellington Town Hall being sold at the tip shop. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Pieces of history from the Wellington Town Hall are being snapped up, as the building gets its $330 million redevelopment.
The major earthquake-prone central city building has been shut since 2013, and its redevelopment has been a bone of contention among councillors, after its costs ballooned from $182 million to $330m.
The performance venue's layout and auditorium will be redesigned, so the local tip shop has been selling the furniture that is no longer needed.
Furniture from the Wellington Town Hall for sale at the local tip shop. Photo: Supplied / WCC
The council's resource recovery manager Shelali Shetty told RNZ a lot of items were dropped off at the shop.
Those included four shopping trolleys worth of chandeliers, two truckloads of council chamber chairs and six solid oak wood display units.
Most of those pieces had been sold, with just a couple of tables and copper chandeliers still at the shop.
The Wellington tip shop. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
Shetty believed that was due to the quality of the items.
"Everyone loves a piece of solid wood, it is quite hard to find these in the present environment."
Mike - who was browsing the shop - told RNZ he had picked up three armchairs from the town hall, which he described as "really nice".
"Good, thick quality leather, beautiful wood, I think mahogany."
Furniture from the Wellington Town Hall for sale at the local tip shop. Photo: RNZ / Nick James
He said buying the chairs was about knowing he owned a bit of history and to reflect on his memories from the building.
"Lots of concerts, I didn't go to the Beatles, I am too young, but I know people that did."
Shetty said there was still hope for those at want a piece from the performance venue.
She said in the coming months the tip shop would try to recover doors, windows, and lampshades from the building.
The Town Hall was expected to reopen in 2027.
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