Fire alarm system breaks down in new $ 92 million library in Christchurch

Firefighters had to open an alarm control panel in the new $ 92 million Tūranga library in Christchurch on Saturday morning because the painting was closed.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called to the Gloucester Street Library at 8:45 am due to the malfunction of the alarm system in the new building, which opened last Friday.

Three fire officers struggled to open the alarm control panel and finally had to open it with a large crowbar. The door of the panel had been painted closed.

Station manager Greg Koppert said the alarm system seemed defective.

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"We have set off an alarm and we suspect that a system is defective somewhere on the line," he said.

"It's obviously a new building with some startup issues."

The fire alarm control panel indicated that the sprinklers had been activated, but the fire service agents found no evidence to indicate that they had been turned on.

A spokeswoman for the council said the library had opened at 10 am as usual and that no damage had been caused.

A smoke evacuation curtain was lowered into the atrium when the alarm was triggered, but did not want to go back up. Technicians have been called to solve the problem, she said.

"We are studying the issue and we will have more information on Tuesday," she said.

The new state-of-the-art library, equipped with a controversial touchscreen wall of $ 1.245 million, has been busy since it opened last Friday. Nearly 13,000 people visited the new library during its first three days.