Independent experts support Conservatorium design
Published by Communications and Development
8 February 2010
The University of Canterbury is welcoming reports by two independent experts that say the proposed National Conservatorium of Music building at the Arts Centre would reinforce the area’s vitality without diminishing its heritage value.
The reports by Australian heritage conservation architect Elizabeth Vines and Morton Gjerde, a senior architecture lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington, were commissioned by the Christchurch City Council to inform the upcoming resource consent hearing which begins on 15 February.
In the final version of her heritage impact assessment (HIA) Elizabeth Vines refers to a draft version submitted to the Christchurch City Council in November 2009 in which she stated that the design, as it stood at the time, was not sympathetic.
She says subsequent to the November 2009 draft HIA report, plans for the building had been revised and her concerns have been addressed.
Ms Vines’ report says the building’s design “reinforces the heritage values of the Arts Centre block”, will “complement the heritage character of this heritage precinct of national significance”, and “is consistent with the existing character of surrounding historic buildings”.
“Careful consideration has been given to the use of materials which reflect the materials used elsewhere in the Arts Centre site. The use of slate roof, basalt and Oamaru stone is considered appropriate.
“The design approach with the use of pitched slate roof, complementary stone, relationships of solid to void, vertical elements and modulation to the facades are considered to successfully link the design approach of a new building with the existing heritage buildings,” she says.
In his report Morton Gjerde refers to three principal spaces within the site being created or enhanced by the Conservatorium development.
“The new quadrangle will be a useful addition alongside the other two existing quadrangle spaces. The new courtyard space on the southern side of the Academy Cinema, providing the spatial focus for the project, will be a particularly pleasant space to be in. The outdoor space to the north of the Dux de Lux cafe will be enhanced along its western side, as the project will define the space more effectively and provide the people using it with a pleasant outlook.”
Mr Gjerde’s report says the building design “is of its own time and does not attempt to mimic any of the surrounding buildings, which form a coherent link to earlier periods in New Zealand’s history.
“This enables the strong coherence of the earlier work to be preserved and avoids a sense of temporal confusion that could arise with other design strategies, such as one seeking to reproduce the Gothic Revival styles. The design is distinguished from other buildings around it and will be understood to be a contemporary intervention. This will help reinforce the notion that the site remains vital, that the Christchurch Arts Centre is not simply a museum piece but that it continues to grow and change in a positive manner.”
For further information please contact:
John MacDonald
Corporate Affairs Manager
University of Canterbury
Ph: (03) 364 2910
Mobile:
021 417 289
john.macdonald@canterbury.ac.nz