Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Warner's Hotel, Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "51-53 Cathedral Square".
A written history of 39 Cathedral Square, the Regent Theatre and Southern Encounter Aquarium and Kiwihouse.
A photograph of a lamp post in Cranmer Square.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Novotel Hotel, Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Victoria Square".
This topic was chosen in response to the devastation caused to Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand following earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Working amongst the demolition bought to attention questions about how to re-conceive the square within the rebuilt city. In particular, it raised questions as to how a central square could be better integrated and experienced as a contemporary addition to Christchurch city. This thesis seeks to investigate the ways in which central squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city and how New Urbanist design principles can contribute toward this union. The research principally focuses on the physical and spatial integration of the square with the contemporary city. A drawing-based analysis of select precedent case studies helped to determine early on that overall integration of the contemporary square could be attributed to several interdependent criteria. The detailed studies are supplemented further with literature-based research that narrowed the criteria to five integrative properties. These are: identity, scale and proportion, use, connectivity and natural landscape. These were synthesised, in part, from the integrative New Urbanist movement and the emerging integrative side of the more contemporary Post Urbanist movement. The literature-based research revealed that a more inclusive approach toward New Urbanist and Post Urbanist design methodologies may also produce a more integrated and contemporary square. Three design case studies, using the redesign of Cathedral Square, were undertaken to test this hypothesis. The case studies found that overall, integration was reliant on a harmonious balance between the five integrative properties, concluding that squares can be better integrated with the contemporary city. Further testing of the third concept, which embraced an allied New Urbanist / Post Urbanist approach to design, found that New Urbanism was limited in its contribution toward the integration of the square.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Novotel in Cathedral Square".
A photograph of buildings on Oxford Terrace, taken from Victoria Square.
An aerial photograph looking east over Cathedral Square down Worcester Street.
Building Record form for Regent Theatre Building, 39 Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Building Record Form for Dorothy's Boutique Hotel, 2 Latimer Square, Christchurch
A digger clearing rubble from a demolished building near Latimer Square.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Flowers in Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Candles in Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "25 Latimer Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "25 Latimer Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "North-east corner Cathedral Square".
A photograph of Latimer Square.
Building Record Form for the Press Building, 32 Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Christchurch Club remains, Latimer Square".
Register Record for the Sevicke Jones Building, 53 Cathedral Square, Christchurch
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The ANZ building in Cathedral Square".
An aerial photograph looking east over Christ Church Cathedral and down Worcester Street.
A photograph of children standing on the plinth where the statue of John Robert Godley, Canterbury's founder, once stood. Members of the public are viewing the damaged cathedral from a walkway that was opened up between Re:Start Mall and Cathedral Square to allow temporary public access.
A photograph of footage of Cathedral Square playing on a number of computer monitors as part of Gap Filler's ninth project, Thinking Outside the Square. The footage was sourced from the Christchurch community and cut into an hour-long video spanning 100 years. The monitors are placed amongst wooden pallets, an excavator, and other building material.
A photograph looking south down Colombo Street, taken from the edge of Cathedral Square.
A photograph of the BNZ building in Cathedral Square, with the Chalice in front.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "50 Cathedral Square".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A Chinese lantern in Victoria Square".