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Christchurch Art Gallery

Te Puna o Waiwhetu

The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu was a $35 million project for which Holmes Consulting Group was the structural engineer for all the design work, bar the glass sculpture wall. The Gallery comprises a single basement, major gallery space, and a distinctive main foyer area with the glass sculpture wall.

A significant challenge on this project was the need to provide large open spaces whilst allowing for the heavy floor loadings required. The two main galleries were designed to have a floor to floor height of 7 metres and to be essentially column free. A further challenge was the distinctive curved bridge element that crosses the foyer between the two gallery structures.  As well as this, the depth and extent of the basement required careful consideration in Christchurch conditions.

The complex geometry of the structure also provided its own unique set of issues. Our Christchurch team resolved all design queries through innovative and creative thinking. Besides the comparable scale of the project, the main relevance of the Art Gallery is in the depth and extent of excavation.

  • The Christchurch Art Gallery was used as the city headquarters in the early days after the earthquake.
  • The Christchurch Art Gallery comprises a single basement, major gallery space, and a distinctive main foyer area.
  • Christchurch Art Gallery: The glass sculpture wall provides a dramatic entryway to the gallery space.
  • The Christchurch Art Gallery not only has two floors of exhibition space, there are also two educational activity areas and an auditorium.
  • The spacious entry to the Christchurch Art Gallery