Alden Williams/Stuff
The Tūranga central city library is among the buildings that will be showcased in the architecture festival.
Ever wanted to peer inside some of Christchurch’s treasured gems of architecture?
In the final weekend of April, more than 40 of the city’s most special buildings – covering a variety of ages, styles, and uses – will be opened to the public, allowing people to go inside and marvel at the design and architecture.
The event, called the Open Christchurch festival of architecture, will be mostly free, except for a few buildings that are private residences and will require a $5 booking fee to control privacy and numbers.
This year marks the second time this festival has been run, after making its debut in 2021.
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The full list of buildings available to walk through will be released next month.
The Tūranga central city library and Christchurch City Council’s Te Hononga civic offices will be among the buildings on show.
ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff
The Christchurch City Council’s Te Hononga civic offices in Hereford St will be part of the festival too.
The event is being run by Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture and City Making, a non-profit independent group formed after the earthquakes.
Director Jessica Halliday said the event would happen between April 30 and May 1, if it could proceed safely.
“Given the circumstances, this year’s edition will be different, but experiencing great architecture will still be front and centre,” she said.
Halliday said a range of activities would be on offer and these would facilitate a “deeper delve” into the buildings.
“These include expert tours, exhibitions, audio tours for self-discovery and activities for youngsters,” Halliday said.
At the 2021 edition of the event, about 10,000 visits were recorded across 46 buildings.