Music Centre of Christchurch facts for kids

The chapel fronting Barbadoes Street, which was the performance venue of the Music Centre, in 2007

The Music Centre of Christchurch was a special place for music groups in the central part of Christchurch, New Zealand. It opened in 1994. The centre offered offices, rehearsal rooms, teaching spaces, and performance areas. It was located next to the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. The centre used four historic buildings. These buildings were once a convent for the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. They also housed Sacred Heart College, a Catholic girls' school. This school started in 1881. It later joined with Xavier College in 1987 to form Catholic Cathedral College.

History of the Buildings

The buildings that made up the Music Centre had a long history.

The Chapel

The chapel was built in 1907. It was designed by Joseph Munnings, working with Samuel Hurst Seager and Cecil Wood. This chapel is a rare example of Byzantine revival architecture in the Southern Hemisphere. This means it was built in a style that looked back to old Byzantine buildings. The chapel was the main place for performances at the Music Centre.

Other Buildings

The oldest building was the three-storey main convent building. It was designed in 1882 by Francis Petre. This building opened in 1894. Another part, called the Portery, was added in 1902. It made the convent bigger. The Portery was later fixed up along with the girls' boarding hostel. The hostel was built in 1930 for Sacred Heart College. Both of these buildings became part of the Music Centre in 2004.

Earthquake Damage and New Home

The buildings of the Music Centre were badly damaged. This happened during the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Two of the four buildings were hit very hard. The main three-storey building had to be taken down. People hoped the Music Centre could reopen in the same spot. But it moved to a new, specially built place. This new building is on Antigua Street and is called The Piano.

Music Education

The Christchurch School of Music was one of the groups at the Music Centre. About 800 students took classes there each week. Around 80 teachers taught these classes. They used the Music Centre and the nearby Catholic Cathedral College. After the earthquake, these classes moved. Students now attend lessons at Christchurch Boys' High School and Rangi Ruru Girls' School.