Style: March 01, 2018

28 STYLE | architecture
A NEW DAWN
The Christchurch Town Hall is once again the place that
commands attention, not just for the performances that resound within,
but for the commanding architecture throughout.
Words Richard Dalman
Those familiar carpets look brand new, joining 2100sqm of marble and 2500sqm of timber flooring in the restored Christchurch Town Hall.
Christchurch has lost many great buildings as
a result of the Canterbury earthquakes. The
Lyttelton Tunnel building by Peter Beaven, The Press
building by Armson, Collins and Harman, and the
Catholic Cathedral by Francis Petre are a few that
come to mind, although the latter still has a chance to
be repaired.
For a long time, the Christchurch Town Hall was
at risk due to the considerable structural damage
incurred, and the high cost to strengthen and
reinstate.
I remember quite a debate at the time as to
whether the cost was going to be worth it. I can tell
you, now that it has opened, it most definitely is! I
was a strong supporter of repairing the Town Hall
and, having visited last month before its reopening, I
feel so glad that I was.
If you are a regular reader of this column you will
know that I am a fan. The unashamedly modernist
architecture of 1972 makes no apologies. Raw
concrete, stone aggregate-faced concrete panels, 600
copper fins and glass form the exterior palette.
The form of the building is derived from the
internal floor plans of the individual spaces and the
volume of space required for each of them, such that
the three main wings extending out from the main
entrance area create their own individual architecture.
The oval-shaped Douglas Lilburn Auditorium breaks
out above its octagonal concrete base with its paired
columns that feature around the building, the James
Hay Theatre’s fly tower extends to the sky promoting
its theatre function, and the glazed restaurant and
Limes Room extend out over the Avon and open up
to Victoria Square and the community.
On my recent visit I was delighted to see how
much attention to conserving the original architecture
there had been. All of the timber work, the Pat Hanly
mural, and even the spikey ceiling mouldings in the
foyer that project towards you from above were
removed, refurbished off-site and reinstated.