On Monday 2 June, we visited Crown Fine Art’s new purpose-built storage facility under construction in Porirua, just 20 minutes north of the Wellington ferry terminal.

Hosted by Leon Hulme (Managing Director, Crown New Zealand) and Chris Streeter (General Manager, Crown Fine Art), the visit also included Rebecca Kane (Ashton Mitchell Architects) and Rob Stephens (former DIA Programme Director for Tāhuhu and Te Rua), now acting as Crown’s technical advisor.

Leon described the facility as a “home away from home” for the GLAM sector — a high-spec, internationally aligned response to Aotearoa’s well-documented storage shortage.

Key features include:

• 950sqm footprint with 10m stud height
• Climate control to 14°C / 40% RH
• Sealed, enclosed loading docks
• Customisable high-density racking systems

The project responds directly to sector demand for safe, compliant collections storage. It also reflects Crown’s wider commitment to heritage infrastructure, with the Porirua site emerging from consolidated Wellington holdings.

Designed as a “proof of concept,” the facility could be the first of several. It offers both deep storage and flexible “bridging” solutions for institutions transitioning out of unfit or end-of-life storage.

A key theme from the visit was collaboration. Rob Stephens noted that earlier shared storage proposals would now likely take a more partnership-led approach, with Te Rua cited as a strong model.

The facility could operate under different structures — Crown-managed, sector-led, or hybrid — with options like a body corporate-style governance model under discussion.

The site will integrate with Crown’s wider logistics services, including climate-controlled, air-ride trucks to support safe transport across the motu. This helps address distance as a barrier to shared storage. Crown’s logistics capability may also enable streamlined international object movement.

With increasing pressure on local government funding, this moment presents a clear opportunity for the sector to define its needs and explore shared infrastructure solutions.As Leon put it: can the sector work together to make the most of a facility like this?

The facility is scheduled to open on 9 October 2026.

Crown is inviting expressions of interest from the sector. To learn more or get involved, contact Chris Streeter: cstreeter@crownww.com