The blessing was led by a mana whenua representative and marks another milestone in the project to bring The Court Theatre back to the heart of Christchurch.
"In the 10 years since the earthquakes, The Court Theatre has operated out of ‘The Shed’ in Addington, but its dream has always been to have a world class fit-for-purpose theatre centre in the central city," said Brent Smith, Christchurch City Council's principal advisor citizens and community.
The theatre's new home will be on corner of Colombo and Gloucester Sts inside the Performing Arts Precinct.
Ground works are due to start at the site this month and construction of the three-storey theatre centre will get under way in mid-2022.
The Court Theatre’s new building should open to the public in about 2024.
London-based architects, Haworth Tompkins, have worked with New Zealand’s Athfield Architects and a wider consultant team on the designs for the building.
It will have a 360-seat main playhouse auditorium; a 130-seat studio theatre, where children’s and family shows can be held; and front-of-house facilities.
All aspects of a working theatre, including set-building, costume-making and rehearsals, will be based on site, with plans to make these usually back-stage activities more visible to the public.
"The new space will be made for everybody; it will be an open invitation to anyone who wants to intimately share the diverse programme of The Court Theatre's work," said Barbara George, chief executive of The Court Theatre.
"We will return city audiences to dedicated theatre spaces purpose-built to bring the viewer closer to our art."
"The theatre will welcome a diverse community of creatives, actors, audience members and students who reflect the many faces of our city.
"It will bring hustle and bustle to the precinct and re-energise the city seven days a week with shows, rehearsals, and spaces available for use every day. It is an investment in the city, theatre, and the well-being of our community.
"We have committed to raising $10 million to ensure we build a world-class customer-friendly theatre centre and can fit it out for our needs. And yes, we are taking our pizza oven with us!"
