The Christchurch Arts Centre was definitely one of the most interesting places that I’d visited in a while. Travelers who like architecture and the arts are definitely going to have a field day here. Personally, I enjoyed my visit here. The art installations were ingenious and the buildings were a marvel to look at. Today, I’ll walk you through the stuff that I think were quite interesting as well as give you my impressions of these and my visit as a whole. If you’re ready then make sure to scroll down for the pictures as well as my descriptions of them!
The Christchurch Arts Centre: A House in the Sky and Lots of Other Interesting Attractions
It is relatively easy to get here especially if you took the Christchurch Tram. From Cathedral Square, you can take the tram and it’ll bring you to a stop at Worcester Street where you can then see the group of heritage buildings (to the left of the street if you’re facing away from Cathedral Square) that make up the Arts Centre. Conversely, you could just also walk from Cathedral Square to here. Once you’ve entered from the Worcester Street entrance, this building will then be one of the first things you’ll notice.
So I said earlier that it’s one of the first things you’ll notice and that’s because of this peculiar installation. This is called the House in the Sky and I’m not going to lie, this was kind of trippy when I first saw it. I mean who wouldn’t be? Just look at that thing floating on thin air! Thankfully, no black magic was involved in this installation. Rather, it’s just a clever optical illusion using wires which we’ll delve into a little later on.
Another thing you’ll notice once you’re here is the architecture. Much like Christchurch Cathedral, the buildings here are prime examples of Gothic Revival. This is very evident in the prominence of pointed arches and the elaborate window tracery in the buildings here. I’m not going to lie, it felt like I stepped into a time machine and was transported into a medieval town when I got here.
So here is a closeup of the pointed arches and the elaborate window tracery that I was talking about in the previous image. It’s not the only defining characteristic of Gothic and Gothic Revival per se but these are probably what you’d most associate with those architectural styles. Here they just make the buildings look vintage and simultaneously timeless.
So going back to the House in the Sky, it’s actually called the Echo sculpture. It’s an installation that’s made from fiber glass materials and suspended over the North Quad area (the area where I’m standing on as I took this picture). From what I can remember, this sculpture is by Neil Dawson, an New Zealand artist known for making large sized sculptures not just in the country but globally as well.
Initially, I thought that the sculpture was fairly new. Turns out, it’s actually been around since 1981. It was taken down after the 2010 quake and it took around 11 years before it was reinstalled. I think what also makes this sculpture iconic is the fact that its artist is also from Christchurch.
So if you’re wondering how in the world the installation is able to float, it’s actually quite simple. There are wires holding it together. You’ll notice it as you enter the North Quad area but it’s really going to pop out once you get real close to it. One thing with getting close to the sculpture though is that it ceases looking like a house and starts becoming like a jumbled mess.
As for the building the Echo is hovering over, it’s called the Central Art Gallery and it connects Cloisters Studio, the Lumiere Cinemas, and the Great Hall. If you then pass through the path to the left, you’ll find yourself at the Observatory Hotel Courtyard and the South Quad area.
The Echo isn’t the only hanging art installation that you’ll be able to see at the Christchurch Art Centre. There are also these colorful popsicles hanging upside down from one of the trees in the South Quad area. Now I’m not quite sure what the name of these installations are or if they even have a name. I will say though that they looked quite interesting and actually made me want to get a popsicle myself.
Speaking of South Quad, here’s a sign that I found here showing the directions of the Art Centre’s notable areas. Just up ahead from the sign is the Observatory Hotel Courtyard with the building on the left being the Observatory Hotel itself. It’s not shown in this particular image but the hotel has an observatory tower with a telescope. From what I could tell, the telescope is still functional and it came from the Townsend Observatory that was destroyed when the earthquake hit in 2011.
So one of the really notable installations that I came across here at the Christchurch Art Centre was this uniquely shaped structure. I looked into it and found out that this was called Mason’s Cairn by Tom Stevens and Ned Allaway. If I’m not mistaken, this was installed here in 2019 and the material used for it was Oamaru Stone from when the Arts Centre was rebuilt.
Going back to the North Quad, I came across this really unique looking sculpture in a covered walkway in the Cloisters Studio area. I was really perplexed at first because I knew, in my mind, that I’d seen the sculpture before. It was only after a couple of minutes that I finally remembered who the statue looked like: it was the Thing from the Fantastic Four!
Joking aside though, this is not a sculpture of Ben Grimm. Rather it’s a sculpture made by an artist named Antony Gormley. Made from cast iron, the sculpture here at the Art Centre actually is one of two that were installed after the quakes. As for the other sculpture, you can find it in the Avon River.
So one thing that stuck with me when I read the description of this sculpture is how it’s meant to be a reflection rather than a flex (like with most monumental sculptures). It’s not here to show people the greatness of Christchurch and New Zealand as a whole. Rather, I think it wants people to reflect that while the human will is indomitable, it can still be fragile.
The majority of the Arts Centre buildings are actually what remains of the Canterbury College (precursor to the University of Canterbury) main campus. This specific door is the entrance to the Physics Laboratory which was part of the Mountfort’s Observatory Tower and Biological Laboratory. Right now, this is part of the Observatory Hotel.
Speaking of the Observatory Hotel, look to your right from the Physics Laboratory entrance and you’ll then see its entrance. I don’t think I’ve said this earlier but this is actually open for business. In fact, the hotel has around 33 rooms as well as a library, gym, and of course, easy access to this whole area.
Remember the sign earlier showing the South Quad’s notable areas? Well, behind that is a sign showing directions to other areas including those found in the North Quad. From this angle you’ll also catch a glimpse of the covered walkway where you could see the Stay sculpture that I talked about earlier.
To the west of the sign in the previous image is this building for the Lumiere Cinemas. It has these outdoor furniture where visitors can take a seat while waiting for a movie or just to chill and relax in. There’s a bar here where you can order cocktails as well as snacks.
Here you can see some guests taking advantage of the outdoor seating. I will say, this is a great spot to just rest after walking around and exploring this area. That said, I actually ended up just passing by as I went on to explore more of the Arts Centre and its buildings.
To the south of the Central Art Gallery building is the Old Chemistry building of the University of Canterbury. Right now it houses the UC Music Recital Room as well as the Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities. If you have the time, I’d highly suggest visiting the museum (which is just near Christchurch Botanic Gardens) as it’s actually free to access for the general public.
The Old Chemistry Building is actually rather old. From my research, it actually predates the Physics Laboratory (though not the whole Observatory Hotel) by around 7-8 years. Much like a lot of the buildings here, this one was designed by Collins and Harman. As its name implies, it was used by the University of Canterbury for its Department of Chemistry before its eventual transfer to the main Ilam campus.
This is another of the more notable attractions here at the Christchurch Art Centre. Called the Skybridge, this serves as a conduit between the Health Technology Centre (on the right) and the building housing the Cloisters Studio. This wasn’t originally a part of the buildings but was rather an inclusion during restoration following the quakes of 2010 and 2011.
Here’s what the facade of the Health Technology Centre building looks like. Before it was called this, it used to be the Court Theatre Building from 1976 to 2011. The Court Theatre has since relocated to a new building in Gloucester Street (still in Christchurch) after the 2011 quake. Additionally, prior to the Court Theatre’s stint here, the building housed the University of Canterbury’s engineering school.
This is one of the buildings that I think are easy to miss here in the Arts Centre. Known as Te Whare Tapere or The Common Room, it’s an art space for supporting and promoting Maori art and artists. Beside it (to its right) is the Cloisters Studio building as well as the pathway where you could observe the Skybridge from earlier.
Here’s one of the columns in the Old Chemistry building which now houses the Music Recital Room and the Teece Museum. As you might have noticed, it has an inscription detailing who laid the foundations of the building, the year it was laid, and the architects who designed it. It’s kind of impressive how the Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora Trust managed to preserve and restore the building (as well as others in the block) even with the devastation of the quakes.
So this plaque was quite interesting to read. You’ll find this near one of the Health Technology Centre’s doors and its inscription shows how the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand recognized Canterbury College as a pioneer in engineering education in the country.
You’ll find this plaque commemorating Antony Gormley’s Stay on the concrete border of the knoll directly in front of the sculpture. This shows that the sculpture was commissioned by the Christchurch City Council and that it was first installed during the 2013 SCAPE Public Art Season. Coincidentally, one of the founders of SCAPE Public Art is also an alumnus of University of Canterbury which the buildings in this Arts Centre used to be a part of.
Here you’ll see the knoll I was talking about in the previous image along with the commemorative plaque for STAY. In the background, you’ll see parts of the Arts Centre’s Clock Tower Complex/Entrance Block. This is the same building that is accessible through Worcester Blvd.
So another notable feature of Gothic Revival architecture is its prodigious use of stained glass. Understandably, most of the buildings that you’ve seen so far typically have windows that use regular glass. That said, while it’s not as evident when you’re looking from the outside, there are still buildings here that have stained glass windows. Thankfully, the stained glass windows in the image above are relatively easy to locate as it’s just above the entrance in the Clock Tower Complex building.
Speaking of entrance, here’s what you can expect to see outside of the entrance of the Clock Tower complex. It’s really hard to miss just because of how large this sign is. You’ll also notice some outdoor furniture in the back. These are for customers who decide to order from the Quad Eatery. If you’re facing the entrance then this establishment is just your left.
From the entrance, follow Worcester Street to Rolleston Avenue and along the way you’ll come across this memorial featuring the bust of Rewi Alley. Now, he’s actually quite an interesting guy as he’s one of the few foreigners I know who was a member of the Chinese Communist Party. A New Zealand born writer and political activist, he initially went to China in 1927 and ended up dedicating the next 60 years of his life to the Chinese people.
Here’s the Clock Tower Complex’s entrance. Also, if you look at the upper left hand side of the image, you’ll see the Clock Tower this complex is named after. It’s actually not as large as I initially thought it would be but it’s definitely still nice to look at. What really caught my attention though is the relief sculpture just underneath the clock. It really makes it seem like you’re in some place in Europe when in reality you’re in the Southern Hemisphere.
So one attraction you’ll find here in the Clock Tower building is Rutherford’s Den. It is named after Nobel Prize winner and the Father of Nuclear Physics Lord Ernest Rutherford who, to my surprise, actually studied in the Canterbury College campus that is now the Art Centre. As for Rutherford’s Den, it’s basically a science and history exhibit here that you can check out for free here.
This is what the entrance looks like. You’ll notice that the transom light/windows above the doors here both have stained glass. These, together with the tiles and the brickwork inside really gave off European vibes and set the tone for my visit and short walk here.
Here’s another look at the inside of the entrance. A word of advice: if you’re going to come here, make sure you do so on the weekends. The Arts Centre holds an Art Market on the weekends and the atmosphere becomes so much livelier. Not to mention, you might be able to see unique, high-quality handmade crafts that would make for great souvenirs.
Now if you happen to have a hard time remembering the buildings’ names and the activities they offer then there’s a large screen in the entrance way that has an infographic with all the information that you need. Aside from a map of the block, there’s also a detailed list of the shops and attractions you’ll find in each floor of the buildings here. Take note that while a lot of the buildings are free to enter, not all of them are. There are activities and buildings that require you to pony up a little cash so make sure you read up on what and where these are in advance.
The Christchurch Arts Centre is a great place to visit if you enjoy art, architecture, and want to immerse yourself in New Zealand’s history and culture. Additionally, it costs so little to actually enjoy yourself here. Access for a lot of the activities and attractions is free and your expenses are likely going to be on food and drinks.
What do you think of the Christchurch Arts Centre? Don’t forget to share your thoughts with us and our readers down in the comments section!
