Christchurch Convention Centre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christchurch Convention Centre |
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Christchurch Convention Centre in August 2011
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| General information | |
| Address | Kilmore Street |
| Coordinates | 43°31′34.93″S 172°38′7.44″E / 43.5263694°S 172.6354000°E |
| Completed | 1997 |
| Inaugurated | November 1997 |
| Demolished | March / April 2012 |
| Owner | Vbase |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 8 m high ceiling, 90 m length |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 1,850 square metres (19,900 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Warren and Mahoney |
| Awards and prizes | 1997 NZIA Local Award |
| References | |
| Architects' website | |
The Christchurch Convention Centre was a special building in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was made just for big meetings, conferences, and events. The Mayor of Christchurch, Vicki Buck, opened it in November 1997. Sadly, the building was taken down in early 2012 after the big 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
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What Was the Christchurch Convention Centre?
The Christchurch Convention Centre was located on Kilmore Street. This street is right in the middle of the city centre.
How Was the Building Designed?
The building looked like a big concrete box with a shiny glass front. This glass front faced the Christchurch Town Hall across Kilmore Street. A cool glass walkway, called an airbridge, connected the Convention Centre to the Town Hall and the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel.
The Convention Centre was very large. It could hold up to 2,500 people at one time! It had seven smaller "breakout" rooms. It also had three main halls. These halls could be used separately or joined together. They were big enough to host meetings for 2,200 people sitting like they were in a theatre.
Art and Events at the Centre
The building also featured some amazing artworks. One was a neon sculpture called "Blue" by Bill Cuthbert. It was on the outside of the building. Inside, there was a huge mural (a big painting on a wall) that was 84 metres long! It was called "Passport to the New Millennium" and was created by Philip Trusttum. This mural ran along the entire length of the building's main walkway.
Many important events happened at the Christchurch Convention Centre. It hosted big international conferences. Some of these included meetings for APEC (a group of countries in the Asia-Pacific region) and Shiseido Japan. The New Zealand Law Society and Law ASIA also held events there. It was also a place for many charity gala dinners.
Why Was the Convention Centre Demolished?
In February 2011, a very strong earthquake hit Christchurch. The Convention Centre was badly damaged. Then, another big aftershock happened on June 13th. Because of all this damage, experts said the building could not be saved.
In August 2011, it was officially decided that the Convention Centre would be taken down. The demolition happened in March and April of 2012. You can see in the photo what the area looked like after it was gone.
