The Dilworth Trust Board and School have embarked on a significant project to build a new chapel and community centre, St Patrick’s. In December, the ground was blessed in a moving early morning ceremony where members of the Trust Board and School came together with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and the Anglican Diocese of Auckland to bless the ground on which the new St Patrick’s Chapel and Community Centre will stand.
There is now a major building site at the Senior Campus at Erin Street, with the outline of the new building structure starting to emerge. The Dilworth Trust Board team manages this project, led by Senior Property Manager Meg Cavell. Meg has oversight of the build, including design selections, managing budgets and contractors, and coordinating across the project—a big task!
Meg commented, “Work is going really well, and it’s on time. The foundations have been completed, and if you’ve been passing lately, you may have seen the structural steel is now going up.”
So, here’s a look at what the building will look like a year from now.
Designed by renowned architects Jasmax, St Patrick’s will be modern, welcoming, full of light and a centre for everyone. It will have a deep connection to nature and represent a gateway to the Dilworth Senior Campus. Building designers have worked hard to maintain the School’s character, retaining as much grass space as possible. Dilworth is fortunate to enjoy wide open spaces and trees as an integral part of the campus, and significant planting will occur to ensure that nature is strongly featured in this design.
The need for a new chapel and space for the community to come together has long been recognised. The relocation of Year 9 students to the Senior Campus has seen the current chapel and hall at capacity with a lack of seating for students, staff, whānau and the wider Dilworth community. The future use of the current chapel has yet to be considered.
The planned new space will accommodate everyone, embrace bi-cultural values, and celebrate the unique and diverse range of cultures at Dilworth School. It will celebrate the beautiful land so generously gifted by the School’s founders, James and Isabella Dilworth.
Construction is expected to be completed by mid-2025, and once the centre opens, it will provide Dilworth with a stunning new space for everyone to come together and enjoy.