New Zealand’s Christchurch Art Gallery, which has remained closed since a devastating earthquake in 2011, is about to reopen to the public following a NZ$56.7m (US$37.1m, €34.1m, £24m) repair project.

Reopening on 19 December, works not seen for nearly five years will be back on display among a collection of new pieces curated during the gallery’s closure.

In addition to essential repairs, the gallery has received structural upgrades to better protect it in the event of a future earthquake. The upgrades, budgeted by Christchurch City Council, include repair work and strengthening of the Buchan Group-designed art gallery, which has been re-levelled and retrofitted with base isolation.

While most of the gallery space is now open, the facility’s underground car park remains closed, as does the gallery shop and café, all of which were heavily damaged in the 6.3 magnitude Christchurch earthquake. The still-closed public facilities are scheduled to reopen on Waitangi Day on 6 February, while back-of-house spaces and the car park will be ready in April.

Restoration work was complicated by further earthquake damage being discovered as the project progressed, putting pressure on finances and the project’s completion date. Fortunately, work was completed on budget and on schedule after concerns had been raised earlier in the year that work wouldn't be completed until Q1 2016 at the earliest.

The gallery’s first major exhibition, titled Unseen, will introduce visitors to the gallery’s new works added to the collection since 2011. Two major new works by New Zealand artist Simon Morris and Australian artist Tanya Schulz, have been commissioned especially for the reopening and will be featured prominently within the gallery.