Monday 25 November 2013

Find out more about the Town Hall and new Performing Arts Precinct

Christchurch City Council is inviting residents to learn more about the Town Hall conservation project and the development of a new Performing Arts Precinct at a drop-in session this week.

The drop-in session will be held on Wednesday 27 November from 12.15pm-2pm on the first floor of the Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street.

Warren and Mahoney Managing Director Peter Marshall and Holmes Consulting Group Structural Engineer John Hare will give short presentations about the Town Hall. Council staff will also be on hand to answer residents’ questions about the Town Hall and the wider Performing Arts Precinct.

General Manager Community Services Michael Aitken says the Town Hall and wider Performing Arts Precinct will be an important part of the city’s rebuild and the Council is committed to keeping residents well informed about developments.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for residents to hear more from the architects who are charged with developing the concept design to conserve the Town Hall, but also ensuring it is better than it was before the earthquakes.

“Although the Town Hall stood up well in the earthquakes this is also a chance for people to find out more about the effect the earthquakes had on the facility and also the techniques engineers will be using to significantly strengthen it – ensuring it can be enjoyed for many years to come. Although plans for the new Performing Arts Precinct are still in their very early stages, residents will also be able to find out more about one of the city’s exciting new anchor projects,” he says.

Community Committee Chair Yani Johanson says, "The Town Hall and Performing Arts Precinct are important civic and cultural public spaces for our city. As such, it is important that the Council is open and transparent around these key projects and engages widely with our citizens about the repair, refurbishment, and redevelopment. I welcome the opportunity for those who are interested to come along to find out more.”

On 29 August 2013, the Council agreed to restore the Town Hall in its entirety as part of a new Performing Arts Precinct. This included retaining the auditorium, entrance foyer, James Hay Theatre and the Limes Room and rebuilding Boaters and the Cambridge Room. It also confirmed the Council-led Performing Arts Precinct should include new homes for the Court Theatre, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Music Centre, along with the restored Isaac Theatre Royal. The new facilities will be built in the area south of Armagh Street.

The Council is currently talking to VBase, which manages the Town Hall on behalf of the Council, Town Hall users and architects Warren and Mahoney to look at how the Town Hall can be improved to better meet users’ needs during the four-year conservation project.

It has also been working with Sheppard and Rout Architects and Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) to develop concept designs for the new Performing Arts Precinct. It is currently discussing these plans with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Court Theatre, Isaac Theatre Royal and the Music Centre.

ENDS

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