Scaled Down

When the England brothers designed the three storey building in High Street for A J White Ltd in 1909 (later to become McKenzie and Willis Ltd.), they had little idea that it would one day become part of the large complex being developed in the Innovation Precinct after the earthquakes of 2010 -11 caused such destructive damage to the area.

Supported by the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Buildings Fund and The Christchurch City Council, the developer has retained the historic Gothic Revival facade to provide an important link with the past, and attached to this he is building a varied complex of buildings and public spaces in keeping with the newly emerging central city.

At the same time the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) is putting into place its public spaces plan which includes ‘greenways’ and ‘laneways’ designed to soften and enliven areas that were underused in the past. The paving will reflect the braided rivers of Canterbury and use colours drawn from greywacke and basalt, whilst an installation of poles (currently named 'The Forest of Memories') will be made up from recycled pieces of timber and steel that reflect the cultural and social histories of the site. 

Developer: Richard Peebles

Architect: Shearer Milkin Consultants