Open Christchurch architecture festival kicks off this weekend
Get your nosy on this weekend and have a look inside some of Christchurch’s most unique and beautiful buildings as part of the Open Christchurch architecture festival.
Unmissable experiences at this year’s festival include getting behind the fences for a tour of Christ Church Cathedral in progress, taking in one of the best views in the city at Te Hononga Christchurch Civic Building, and a chance to have a chat with Mayor Lianne Dalziel in the Mayoral Lounge.
The festival kicks off on Friday 29 April at Harewood Crematorium, a celebrated piece of New Zealand architecture. It runs over the whole weekend, and over 40 buildings will be opened to the public over the course of the three-day festival. Most of the programme is free, and it’s a great opportunity for Christchurchians to head out and experience our iconic buildings from an all new perspective.
With four guided walks, self-guided and audio tours and over 20 bookable activities including talks from architects, the festival is a fabulous celebration of Ōtautahi’s diverse architecture, and a unique chance to be as nosy as you like, almost entirely free of charge.
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Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre: Great Hall (Benjamin Mountfort, 1881-82).
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Rout House (Jonty Rout, 1979). Photo by Peanut Productions.
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Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple (Warren and Mahoney, 2005-2006). Photo courtesy of Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple