Te Pae, Christchurch Convention Centre by Woods Bagot

Te Pae (“a place for gathering”) is a combined convention and exhibition venue that is part of Christchurch’s recovery masterplan after the devastation of the 2011 earthquake. The design, by Woods Bagot with Warren and Mahoney, powerfully redresses the previous centre’s lack of relevance to Nga¯i Tahu, the indigenous people of New Zealand’s South Island, and returns confidence and a sense of excitement to the city as part of the rejuvenation of its cultural and commercial life. Moving away from the traditional “big box” typology associated with convention centres, the response minimizes the impact of the building’s mass in the regenerating city. Representing the region culturally and geographically, the design is conditioned by the distinctive braided rivers of the Canterbury Plains, expressed as ribbons that will wrap around the structure, defining entries and framing views of the context.

Project location Christchurch, New Zealand

Project collaborator Warren and Mahoney

Client

O¯ ta¯ karo Limited

Type Civic

Site area 17,000 m2

Status – Design competition winner – Construction began

2017, expected completion 2020

Practice locations

Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, Australia; Christchurch, New Zealand; Singapore; Beijing,

Hong Kong and Shanghai, China; Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates; London, UK; New York and San Francisco, USA