Uncovering the Past Moller’s Gallery Sign Returns to Queen Street
03 July 2025
- City Centre
- News
- Urban regeneration
With Care and Complexity: Renewing Auckland Council’s Property Portfolio
We began this series by looking at how the renewals programme helps care for council assets, so they remain resilient and functional. This time, we focus on what it means to be a custodian of Auckland’s built heritage — and how a hidden piece of Auckland’s cultural heritage was rediscovered.
A Neo-Georgian–style building on Queen Street was built in 1923-1924 for W.A. Thompson and Company. By the 1960s, the company was believed to be New Zealand’s largest manufacturer of prams and pushchairs.
Like Cockle Bay’s Shamrock Cottage, and Windross House in Howick, this is another heritage building in the property portfolio that we manage on behalf of Auckland Council. As custodians of these buildings, we are responsible for ensuring they are well maintained.
In February 2023, the building’s canopy was damaged by the intense rainfall during Cyclone Gabrielle. The heavy downpour caused it to slump, posing a safety risk to pedestrians.
In response, contractors secured the area by propping up the canopy and fencing off the frontage. We engaged structural engineers to assess the damage. Their report confirmed the canopy’s structure was at risk and in need of urgent attention.
The original plan was to repair and reinstate the canopy, but ultimately, the decision was made to fully redesign and rebuild it. Once work began, some of the internal structural elements were found to be in much worse condition than anticipated. We initially attempted to salvage and reuse the original steel members inside, but they were too badly degraded. However, in collaboration with Auckland Council’s Heritage Unit, some of the original ‘stays’ that hold up the canopy — along with an internal element supporting the front signage — were able to be retained and reused. A heritage architect led the redesign, working closely with the Heritage Unit to ensure the new canopy was in keeping with the original design and remained sympathetic to the building’s Category 2 heritage status, as listed by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
Today, the canopy once again features the Moller’s Gallery sign — but how did it come to light?
As the modern fascia boards were removed, an earlier hand-painted sign was revealed — Moller’s Gallery, a former tenant of the building. With guidance from the Heritage Unit, the original timber boards were carefully conserved and restored. Where possible, the paintwork was repaired, and the sign was reinstated as a feature of the newly rebuilt canopy.
So, what was Moller’s Gallery? Once Auckland’s leading art supply store, it was a trusted place for artists like Colin McCahon, who sourced their materials there. The gallery also offered custom framing and hosted small-scale exhibitions.
The renewal works on the canopy is a good example of how renewal projects can be complex and can result in rediscovering a piece of Auckland’s cultural heritage.
Read more about the Auckland Council's property asset renewals programme here.