Christchurch Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts |
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Main entrance of the Christchurch Town Hall on Kilmore Street
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| General information | |
| Coordinates | 43°31′37.02″S 172°38′7.78″E / 43.5269500°S 172.6354944°E |
| Inaugurated | 1972 |
| Renovated | 2019 |
| Owner | Vbase |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Warren and Mahoney |
| Main contractor | C S Luney Ltd |
| Awards and prizes | NZIA Gold Medal 1973 |
| Designated: | 9 September 2020 |
| Reference #: | 9817 |
The Christchurch Town Hall, also known as the Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts, is a famous building in Christchurch, New Zealand. It opened in 1972 and is a top place for shows and concerts. You can find it in the city centre, right by the Avon River. The building was badly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and was closed for many years. It reopened in 2019 after a big rebuild. In 2020, it was officially recognised as an important heritage building.
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History of the Town Hall
The very first Town Hall in Christchurch was built on the corner of Hereford Street and Cathedral Square. Its verandah was used for important election speeches.
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The current Town Hall was meant to be part of a larger city centre project. It opened on 30 September 1972. The Governor General, Sir Denis Blundell, officially opened it. Many local councils worked together to build it. Over time, these councils joined together. Now, the Christchurch City Council is fully in charge of the Town Hall.
About the Town Hall
The Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts was designed for many different events. These include concerts, opera, ballet, plays, and even big meetings. It was designed by famous architects Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney. They also had help from an expert in sound, Professor Harold Marshall.
The Town Hall hosts many city events and concerts. It is the home of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. The Christchurch City Choir and other local theatre groups also use it.
It has a large main hall that can seat 2,500 people. This hall is famous for its amazing sound quality. There is also the James Hay Theatre, which can seat 1,000 people. The Town Hall also has other rooms for different events.
A special pipe organ made by Rieger is in the main hall. An international concert organist, Martin Setchell, takes care of it.
Earthquake Damage and Rebuild
The Town Hall had to close after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The ground beneath it became like liquid (this is called liquefaction). This caused the building to move and get badly damaged. In 2011, experts started checking how much damage there was. At first, some thought only the main hall could be saved. They suggested tearing down the rest of the building.
However, in November 2012, the city councillors voted to rebuild the entire hall. This was a big decision. The cost was about $127.5 million. Only $68.9 million of this was covered by insurance.
Restoring the Building
On 11 June 2015, the Christchurch City Council confirmed the repairs would go ahead. Work began in November 2015. New concrete columns were put into the ground. These columns help to support and make the building stable.
The project also made some improvements to the Town Hall's design. For example, the James Hay Theatre and the main hall were changed. This fixed some issues from the original design. The restoration was finished in early 2019. The first part officially opened in February 2019.
Heritage Status
On 4 September 2020, the Town Hall was given a special status. It was named a Category I Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand. This means the building is very important for New Zealand and the world. It is a great example of a style of building called "brutalist architecture."
Images for kids
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Christchurch Town Hall at dusk
See also
In Spanish: Centro artístico de Christchurch para niños
