Heritage Rescue – Waihi

I provided the exhibition and design expertise for 3 series /24 episodes. Each episode required major renovation of a small rural Museum or site within a restricted timeframe and budget. Local community members and some of the production team helped pitch in to get to the finish line.

So many different stories, challenges and good times with each unique and fabulous part of New Zealand’s extraordinary landscape and people. I really was able to hone my skills with this series as each project always required a specific and distinctive response on the turn of a dime.

Waihi Museum

The entry hall and  museum display underwent a major overhaul.

The large exhibit room where the main mining story was told was completely painted with a rich warm brown over its walls and ceiling. All of the high windows were MDF covered and painted over. This colourmimicked the dark internal earthy environment of the gold mines as well as providing an excellent way to create a dramatic display environment with the existent spot LED track lighting .The dark rich brown interior enabled the multiple internally lit original museum model displays to really shine and get the attention they deserved.

All of the cabinet exteriors were painted Resene Sambuca to create a consistent display approach.

This colour was carried through into the adjoining room and hallway to create some flow throughout the museum displays.

The entrance hallway and reception needed to transition into dramatic main exhibition colour palette.  A warm beige was used for the hallway walls to create calm effect while still linking to the deep brown of the exhibition area. A  large painted wall mural was created to represent the larger historic community that underpin many of the existent population .

A dramatic red was used for the hallway reception area, creating a strong accent and impact on entry and an excellent tool to encourage and lure the visitor into the museum.

I created panel interpretation to describe contextual information about historic mining processes and development in the area. Additionally interpretation was created to provide information  on the towns significant contribution to New Zealand labour laws.