The Architectural Centre Inc

Christchurch On Screen

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With impeccable timing, NZ On Screen have just published the Christchurch episode of The Elegant Shed – to go with the Wellington episode already onsite.

“In this episode of the influential NZ architecture series, dapper tour guide David Mitchell looks at the ‘Christchurch Style’. He begins with the humble baches on Taylor’s Mistake’s cliffs, before focusing on the Euro-influenced brutalism of Miles Warren and the “flamboyant” practice of Peter Beaven (earthquake victims SBS House, and Lyttelton Tunnel’s “fifth ship” are featured); and the cottage’s modern descendent: Don Donnithorne’s post-war home. Warren intriguingly compares his process designing Christchurch Town Hall with Jørn Utzon’s Sydney Opera House.”

Please feel free to share! It’s especially poignant to see many of these buildings featured and discussed post-quake. The title is a part of NZ On Screen’s Christchurch collection.

Thanks to Paul Ward !

Comments

One response to “Christchurch On Screen”

  1. Daniele Avatar
    Daniele

    Who elects the symbol of a city is its citzens. It has little to do with faith, taste or fashion. An architectural symbol is something that gives people a feeling of belonging, of identity. An architect should be atuned with the people of a specific place (town, city, country) to be able to identify and understand the necessity of such symbol and not to mess with such things. Even willed by good intentions we destroyed many buildings in name of functionality, modernity, progress and ‘change’. Chch cathedral is certanly the most important symbol of the city. Doesn’t matter if the catholic cathedral was grander, or a modernist building more tastefull – the people of Chch identify themselves with the cathedral. As architects we shoukd help them to re-aquire something meanful for their identity as citzens. I think that Chch needs this now more then ever.

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