The Woolstore, Te Ana Marina

Lyttelton Port Company engaged Naylor Love to transform this 1950’s woolstore building at Te Ana Marina into a multi-use facility housing retail space, public amenities and the marina headquarters. Part of the ongoing rejuvenation of Lyttelton Port, this unique dockside building provides one of the few opportunities for public access to the Lyttelton shoreline.

Works included interior demolition, structural strengthening, construction of a new 200 square metre office and amenities block, services installation, and a mezzanine plant room. The sea-facing wall comprises a structural steel frame, glazing, metal cladding, weatherboards, and Alucobond-clad portals that highlight the building’s chevron shape. Original character features include 18-metre span trusses, timber columns, and working steel gantry cranes.

This complex refurbishment required constant innovation throughout construction. With the existing building out of square, Naylor Love built out existing walls to square out the building, propped and tied down the existing roof structure to ensure it could be underpinned. The reinforcing and foundation design evolved to account for unknowns discovered during the works. This required significant care and oversight in excavating through the existing slab and building perimeter for new ground beams, pads and footings.

The Woolstore restoration salutes Lyttelton’s lively maritime past while modernising Te Ana Marina into a vibrant, community-focused destination.