A central Auckland church once destined for demolition has opened its doors to the community, but to safeguard its future as a space for up-and-coming musical talent, it needs a bit more help.
St David's Presbyterian church has sat on the corner of Khyber Pass and Madeira Pl for almost a century. Its first foundation stone was laid on Anzac Day 1927, in memory of soldiers who'd fought in World War I.
Today the unassuming brown brick-laid church still stands – thanks to the efforts of generous benefactors who donated money to restore the building. It's no longer a working church, but the repair work has meant it's been able to open as a community centre, under the new name Kāhui St David’s.
Friends of St David's Trust Kāhui Rangi Pūpū director Paul Baragwanath says the name Kāhui represents its new role as a gathering place.
"That is what this is all about – it is a new centre of music for the community," he said.
On the day 1News attended, a trio of young performers took to the newly-built stage. The sound of music filling the rafters, the newly restored church acoustics helping their voices soar.
But Baragwanath says more work is needed for the church to facilitate more young talent coming through its doors. At the moment it has no lights and no heating, and there's still a lot of restoration work that needs to happen before it can become a fully-functional events centre.
He says fulfilling this vision will help the church stay true to its foundations as a soldiers' memorial.
"This is a living memorial. How do we honour the lives that were lost right now, right here?" he asked.
"We can honour it by making it a better world, and that is the aim for this place – that everyone who comes here feels at home."
Helping the trust raise the funds needed is New Zealand artist Sara Hughes. She's created a series of brass screen prints that can be bought through the church individually or in sets of four.
"I am really honoured to be able to do this because it's such a fantastic place," she said.
"It's going to be amazing for music and for creative communities.
"It's my way of giving back."
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