Council head of urban regeneration, urban design and heritage Carolyn Ingles said it is important to hold on to Christchurch’s architectural wealth.
One example is the Town Hall's comeback. Built in 1972, the modernist landmark, designed by Warren & Mahoney Architects, has had a $167m restoration to preserve the original character and style of the building.
Nearby on the banks of the Avon River and built in 1929, the Thomas Edmonds Band Rotunda is due to reopen this year after a $1.5m restoration. The copper-sheathed dome is now in place, with the rotunda and pavilion the centrepieces of the Thomas Edmonds River Precinct, part of the City Promenade.
In the central city, a $6.6m restoration of the Bridge of Remembrance and Memorial Arch included precision modelling, high-tech laser scanning and skilled staff squeezing into tight spaces within the arch. Work on the 360 tonne, 14m high, 20m wide Memorial Arch, which was originally opened in 1924, included the insertion of steel and concrete inside the masonry columns to strengthen the structure, along with “rocking collars” to allow for movement during an earthquake.
Ten heritage bridges - including six that cross the Avon River - have also been restored, with the oldest being more than 150-years-old. Built between 1863 and 1902, they form a network of historic bridges of similar design.
The city's heritage clock towers are also ticking again, with the work on the 1929 Edmonds Clock Tower on the corner of Madras St and Oxford Tce standing out. In Victoria St, the Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower, built in 1897 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign, is showing its best face again after restoration of the volcanic stone and limestone structure. The heritage clock tower in front of the New Brighton Library also underwent extensive restoration, along with the Scarborough Clock Tower near Scarborough Park. Both date back to the 1930s.
Several of the city’s most-popular heritage buildings, the 1870 Old Stone House and 1910 Rose Historic Chapel with stunning stained-glass windows, have been reopened, along with The Nurses Memorial Chapel in Riccarton Ave. It is the only chapel in the world built to honour nurses killed during 20th-century wars.
In Fendalton, the Mona Vale Homestead, complete with pressed copper ceilings and ornate woodwork, along with the Gate House and the Lodge, have also been restored to their former glory. Built in the late 19th-century, the quake-battered homestead has a steel and timber structure behind the facade after the brickwork was rebuilt.
In Belfast, the historic Kapuatohe Dwelling, built in 1877 to house the local schoolmaster, and the neighbouring workman’s cottage, dating back to 1912, underwent extensive repairs and strengthening work.
In Opawa, the 157-year-old Risingholme Homestead was extensively restored after a severe fire. Local history is back on public display at Halswell Quarry Park with the reopening of the 1922 Singlemen’s Quarters as a visitor centre, along with the restoration of the 1927 Manager's Residence and the 1912 Crusher Building.
There has also been a $2m heritage restoration at the 1870 Old Stone House at the foot of the Port Hills, along with the $2.8m rebuild of the 100-year-old Sign of the Takahe in Cashmere. The historic 1916 Sign of the Kiwi, designed by Samuel Hurst Seager, is back in business as a cafe at the Summit Road-Dyers Pass Rd junction.
Among the other notable structures to be saved are Grubb Cottage (1851) and the relocated Cenotaph in Lyttelton, the Little River Goods Shed and the Service Centre and Gaiety Hall in Akaroa.
Several buildings not owned by Christchurch City Council are also undergoing extensive restoration. They include:
The Arts Centre: A multimillion-dollar project to rebuild and strengthen one of New Zealand’s most significant heritage sites has restored much of The Arts Centre, a Gothic Revival-style complex dating back to 1877.
Christ Church Cathedral: Work to reinstate Christ Church Cathedral and build two modern buildings alongside the main structure is under way at an estimated cost of $154m.
