The recent reopening of our beloved Town Hall has given the city a great boost. Not to be forgotten, however, is just how much work it took to get it done. Project Story’s Olivia Spencer-Bower says the companies that worked on the Town Hall project should be proud of what they have achieved, “and we are proud to be able to share their stories”. Olivia’s images capture what is unseen and sometimes forgotten; that it takes real people to achieve outstanding results. “At the moment we are celebrating the end result of construction – as we should be,” says Olivia. “But one day, when people begin to take for granted what they can see, they will start to become curious about what they can't see. “What did it look like mid-project? Who were the people that built it? Project Story captures images that answer all of these questions. Our images are part of a community's past, present and future. They are timeless, and maybe one day even iconic.”

Read our full Q&A with Olivia here

The Christchurch Town Hall in numbers

8 years - Since the Christchurch Town Hall closed to the public

1.7km - Earthquake crack repairs throughout the entirety of the building

70 companies - Have worked to erase the extensive earthquake damage

100 tonnes - Of glass

43 tonnes - Of new copper cladding used in the building's restoration

1,200 tonnes - Of reinforcing steel added to the building

750 - 900mm - The thickness of the new concrete floors (the old floors were only 150mm thick)

1,098 - Jet Grout ground improvement piles

32 columns - Added to the Foyer, Link and Avon Room