A document which lists the awards won by SCIRT.
A public relations flyer which outlines the repairs undertaken on the Gloucester Street bridge.
Posters created for Beca Heritage Week 2014, outlining SCIRT's repair work on the Armagh Street and Colombo Street bridges in the Central City. They were hung on the bridges for members of the public to read during SCIRT's walk and talk tours.
A run sheet which details who will do what at the opening of the Gloucester Street bridge.
A photograph of the Townsend Telescope in the Observatory at the Christchurch Arts Centre. This image was used by Graeme Kershaw, Technician at the University of Canterbury Department of Physics and Astronomy, to identify the telescope's parts after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of the Townsend Telescope in the Observatory at the Christchurch Arts Centre. This image was used by Graeme Kershaw, Technician at the University of Canterbury Department of Physics and Astronomy, to identify the telescope's parts after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of the Townsend Telescope in the Observatory at the Christchurch Arts Centre. Graeme Kershaw, Technician at the University of Canterbury Department of Astronomy and Physics, is standing to the left. This image was used by Kershaw to identify the telescope's parts after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
Mother and child walk past graffitied buildings on Peterborough St, Christchurch Central.
A photograph of the middle section of the Townsend Telescope. The telescope is in the Observatory at the Christchurch Arts Centre. This image was used by Graeme Kershaw, Technician at the University of Canterbury Department of Physics and Astronomy, to identify the telescope's parts after the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A document outlining the history of the Townsend Telescope and Observatory at the Christchurch Arts Centre.
Earthquake damage to the Christchurch Chinese Methodist Church at 163 Papanui Road.
A photograph of cracks in the masonry of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The cracks formed as a result of the 4 September 2010 earthquake.
A photograph of the rubble of the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building.
A photograph of parts of the Townsend Telescope recovered from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The telescope was housed in the tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. It was severely damaged when the tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of the rubble of the Observatory tower in the South Quad of the Christchurch Arts Centre. The tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building. In the foreground is Chris Whitty, Site Manager of the Christchurch Arts Centre.
This dissertation explores the advocacy for the Christchurch Town Hall that occurred in 2012-2015 after the Canterbury Earthquakes. It frames this advocacy as an instance of collective-action community participation in a heritage decision, and explores the types of heritage values it expressed, particularly social values. The analysis contextualises the advocacy in post-quake Christchurch, and considers its relationship with other developments in local politics, heritage advocacy, and urban activism. In doing so, this dissertation considers how collective action operates as a form of public participation, and the practical implications for understanding and recognising social value. This research draws on studies of practices that underpin social value recognition in formal heritage management. Social value is held by communities outside institutions. Engaging with communities enables institutions to explore the values of specific places, and to realise the potential of activating local connections with heritage places. Such projects can be seen as participatory practices. However, these processes require skills and resources, and may not be appropriate for all places, communities and institutions. However, literature has understudied collective action as a form of community participation in heritage management. All participation processes have nuances of communities, processes, and context, and this dissertation analyses these in one case. The research specifically asked what heritage values (especially social values) were expressed through collective action, what the relationship was with the participation processes, communities, and wider situation that produced them, and the impact on institutional rhetoric and decisions. The research analysed values expressed in representations made to council in support of the Town Hall. It also used documentary sources and interviews with key informants to analyse the advocacy and decision-making processes and their relationships with the wider context and other grassroots activities. The analysis concluded that the values expressed intertwined social and professional values. They were related to the communities and circumstance that produced them, as an advocacy campaign for a civic heritage building from a Western architectural tradition. The advocacy value arguments were one of several factors that impacted the decision. They have had a lasting impact on rhetoric around the Town Hall, as was a heritage-making practice in its own right. This dissertation makes a number of contributions to the discussion of social value and community in heritage. It suggests connections between advocacy and participation perspectives in heritage. It recommends consideration of nuances of communities, context, and place meanings when using heritage advocacy campaigns as evidence of social value. It adds to the literature on heritage advocacy, and offers a focused analysis of one of many heritage debates that occurred in post-quake Christchurch. Ultimately, it encourages practice to actively integrate social and community values and to develop self-reflexive engagement and valuation processes. Despite inherent challenges, participatory processes offer opportunities to diversify understandings of value, co-produce heritage meanings with communities, and empower citizens in democratic processes around the places they live with and love.
A close-up photograph of parts of the Townsend Telescope recovered from the rubble of the Observatory tower. The telescope was housed in the tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. It was severely damaged when the tower collapsed during the 22 February 2011 earthquake.
A photograph of the bottom storey of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. Rubble from the top two storeys of the tower has spilled into the courtyard in front of the tower. A digger was used to clear the rubble away from the building.
A photograph of the earthquake damage to the second story of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The front of the storey has collapsed, exposing the inside. A tarpaulin has been draped over the top and the roof of the building behind.
A crane on the Hereford Street side of the Arts Centre. Wire fencing has been placed along the road to keep people away.
The Rolleston Avenue face of the Arts Centre. The building has been cordoned off with wire fencing and road cones. One of the spires has been removed from the building and is resting safely on the footpath. Above, a crane can be seen.
The foundation stone removed from the Church Hall at 165 Papanui Road. The stone reads, "A.D.1902".
The seismic tremor that shook Christchurch on February 22, 2011, not only shattered buildings but also the spirit of the city’s residents. Amidst the ruins, this design-focused thesis unravels two intertwining narratives, each essential to the city’s resurrection. At its core, this thesis probes the preservation of Christchurch’s memory and character, meticulously chronicling the lost heritage architecture and the subsequent urban metamorphosis. Beyond bricks and mortar, it also confronts the silent aftershocks - the pervasive mental health challenges stemming from personal losses and the disfigured cityscape. As a native of Christchurch, intimately connected to its fabric, my lens reflects not just on the architectural reconstruction but also on the emotional reconstruction. My experience as an autistic individual, a recently discovered facet of my identity, infuses this design journey with a distinct prism through which I perceive and interact with the world. The colourful sketches that drive the design process aren’t mere illustrations but manifestations of my interpretation of spaces and concepts, evoking joy and vitality—a testament to embracing diversity in design. Drawing parallels between healing my own traumas with my colourful and joyful neurodivergent worldview, I’ve woven this concept into proposals aimed at healing the city through whimsy, joy, and vibrant colours. Personal experiences during and post-earthquakes profoundly shape my design proposals. Having navigated the labyrinth of my own mental health amid the altered cityscape, I seek avenues for reconciliation, both personal and communal. The vibrant sketches and designs presented in this thesis encapsulate this vision—a fusion of vivid, unconventional interpretations and a dedication to preserving the essence of the original cityscape while still encouraging movement into the future.
A photograph of cracks around a window of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The cracks formed as a result of the 4 September 2010 earthquake.
A photograph of cracks around a window of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The cracks formed as a result of the 4 September 2010 earthquake.
A photograph of cracks around a window of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. The cracks formed as a result of the 4 September 2010 earthquake.
A photograph of the damaged Christ Church Cathedral.
A photograph of the damaged Christ Church Cathedral.
A photograph of the Observatory tower at the Christchurch Arts Centre. There are cracks in the masonry of the tower near where the two storeys join. The cracks formed as a result of the 4 September 2010 earthquake.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Christ Church Cathedral".