The University campus is like your one friend who actually hit the gym this summer and achieved their long-promised summer glow-up. Auahi Ora, Burns lecture theatres, Arana College, and OUSA’s Clubs and Socs are some of the spaces to receive a much-needed cash injection and a fresh lick of paint.
After reading perhaps too much Women’s Weekly, Auahi Ora has channeled some serious indoor-outdoor flow (and a million dollars) into their renovation. A University spokesperson confirmed to Critic that Auahi Ora is being upgraded with a new conservatory and outdoor eating area to make the space “more vibrant and social for tauira and staff”. The space has not yet reopened as of writing and is discovering new horizons of irritating construction noises.
In regards to the bigger picture of the campus glow-up, the University explained that “this project is in line with the University’s Pae Tata Strategic Plan to 2030 that envisages vibrant spaces that meet students’ needs and contribute to their outstanding experiences at Otago”. Hopefully re-done Auahi Ora can provide the “outstanding experience” that the controversial upstairs Pint Nights of 2024 failed to deliver to dedicated punters on campus.
Certified campus queen The Dumpling Lady is pumped for the renos: “It’s gonna be awesome. It’s gonna keep [the students] on campus. I mean it’s such a beautiful area, but like I said, it’s boring.” Logan, a passer-by at the construction site, pointed out that given “Dunners is such a sunny place all year round, it’s lovely to see more indoor-outdoor flow.” Here’s hoping that the skylights help him see what real Dunedin weather is like.
To the joy of your high school’s ex-head students, Arana College has reopened after spending 2024 as a ghost town during its own year of $14.85 million self-care: hitting the weights (earthquake strengthening), warming up her vocals (installation of new fire safety systems), and catching up on modern literature (improvements to accessibility to better meet the needs of people with disabilities). Lush!
Burns lecture theatres have also been included in the fun, fully gutted due to a nasty case of asbestos. Burns 2 got the St Daves and Castle 2 treatment, receiving a total facelift. The University said, “A full interior refurbishment of the Burns 2 Lecture Theatre was undertaken, including a full AV upgrade, refurbishment of the seating, and asbestos removal. The total project cost was $680,000.”
The Uni’s nothing if not consistent in their summer glow-up mood-board, again referring Critic to the aforementioned Pae Tata Strategic Plan behind the Burns upgrade. “[The Uni] envisages having spaces and digital environments that deliver what the University’s communities need and are fit for purpose,” a spokesperson said. Leroy, a student who had an 8am in Burns 2, confessed that the refurbed theatre made him “sleepy as it was so dark and moody”. New campus napping spot unlocked.
OUSA Clubs and Socs is also under-wraps for a summer-spruce, as Critic reported in October of last year. OUSA had proposed to fund the project through selling the old Student Support building on Ethel Benjamin Place. The $749k property is still up for sale.
The building is being installed with a new roof and a “large amount of seismic strengthening has been completed, with structural beams installed,” said OUSA – along with a list of other jobs to make the most of the scaffolding (including a sauna refresh). All work on Clubs and Socs is set to be completed by early May. While construction is still ongoing, access to the free brekky and $4 lunch services are unhampered (cue cries of samosa-hungry joy).