With the endorsement, Dunedin City Council planners recommended proposed maintenance and restoration works on the building’s exterior go ahead as planned.
In a report released to the Otago Daily Times, Heritage New Zealand conservation adviser Dr Susie Farminer said the 1880, Robert Lawson-designed building was upon its completion, "the most impressive town hall in New Zealand, reflecting Dunedin's economic prosperity at the time".
"It is a very well-proportioned building incorporating crisp classical detailing and high-quality craftwork.
"The latter is evident in the exterior stonework and the timber carved furniture and scrollwork of the main council chamber," Dr Farminer said.
Much of the craftwork was of a standard that would be very difficult and too expensive to produce today, she said.
"With St Paul's Cathedral, the Municipal Chambers is visually the most impressive structure in the Octagon and the building remains an important and irreplaceable component in the central city townscape."
Dr Farminer said staff met the council’s project manager and heritage consultants on March 3 to discuss what was proposed.
Heritage New Zealand was satisfied the work was aligned with good historic conservation practice, she said.
Over the last two years, a series of outline plans and resource consents relating to the general maintenance and restoration works of the Dunedin Town Hall and Municipal Chambers buildings have been produced by the council.
This latest report is for "stage one" of a four-stage restoration of the building.
The stage one work programme for the building exterior included like-for-like restoration of damaged or eroded Oamaru stone, slate roofing, and timber joinery, the report said.
Cleaning of the facade and protection of horizontal stone surfaces by adding lead flashings and drip edges to prevent erosion was included at this stage, it said.
The flashings would be detailed and installed using traditional construction methods and would be consistent with the era and style of the original building design, it said.
They were deemed essential to preserve the integrity of the building envelope, and reduce deterioration.
Other alterations to improve weather tightness, structural enhancement, and service maintenance were also planned.
Council heritage adviser Heather Bauchop said the work would improve the building’s appearance while retaining the patina and not damaging the original Oamaru stone.
