Great Hall wins Supreme Heritage Award - Canterbury Heritage Awards

CHRISTCHURCH HERITAGE AWARDS CHARITABLE TRUST – ON PAUSE

The Christchurch Heritage Awards Charitable Trust celebrated its 10^th anniversary in June 2021. Over this time the Trust, in conjunction with its family of sponsors and supporters, has witnessed outstanding success of this biennial event. Each event attracted a diverse and exciting range of entries from cabins to mansions, from small to large commercial and public buildings, from rural to urban structures and country houses and the best of the best new builds as heritage of the future. The events were occasions where networking of like-minded heritage advocates and professionals from around Canterbury came together in celebration of this important social event.

The Awards were initiated by myself in 2010 and have been run as a not for profit trust. Their success can be attributed to invaluable sponsorship from several key businesses and organisations over the past 12 years. As the awards are totally reliant on sponsorship it has been increasingly difficult to continue without it. Therefore, the decision has been made to pause the awards for the time being. We are deeply appreciative of the support our previous sponsors have shown and understand entirely that in some cases their time has come to stand aside for others to step up and show the support required to run future awards.

This means a long-term pause for the Canterbury Heritage Awards, as we, the trustees, take time to re-think and re-imagine the awards in a manner that enables a sustainable future and of recognising those who have contributed to the protection and future of historic heritage in Canterbury.

Expressions of interest to support a future event as a key sponsor are invited. Please call Geoff Bone (Event Convener) on 0274 858 185 if you wish to know more.

So, in the meantime, on behalf of the trustees, keep up the good work. You have all either individually or collectively been complicit in keeping our history alive, to be remembered and cherished.

With kind regards
Dame Anna Crighton
DNZM, QSO, JP, PhD(Otago)

September 2022

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The winners of the 2016 Canterbury Heritage Awards were announced during a sold out Awards Ceremony at the newly restored Great Hall of Christchurch’s Arts Centre on Thursday 9 June.

Fittingly, the Great Hall won the Christchurch Heritage Trust Supreme Award with judges praising the commitment, professionalism and outstanding seismic and conservation programme undertaken by the Arts Centre after the earthquakes.

Dr Anna Crighton, Chair of the Awards commented that the Great Hall exhibited all the essential elements of an expert restoration carried out to international best practice.

“The skilled craftsmen, engineers and architects have achieved a quality of excellence. It is a place of many memories from the past and will be enjoyed by present and future generations.”

The Great Hall was designed by Victorian Gothic Revival architect B W Mountfort in 1882 and, like many other buildings in the Arts Centre complex, it was badly damaged in the 2010/2011 earthquakes. Judges also awarded the building with the Ceres NZ Seismic Award, thanks to a forward-thinking seismic retrofit and incredible attention to detail which ensured that modern additions were discreetly installed leaving the historic features to be the hero of the Hall. The Great Hall officially reopens to the public on 18 June.

Awards were also presented to a diverse mix of winners from across Canterbury in six different Categories:

PKF Goldsmith Fox Domestic Saved and Restored Award – Equal Winners: Chilcombe, Chirstchurch (Peter Berry and Jeanne Mason) and Racecourse Hill Homestead, Darfield (Brian and Bernice Cribb).

Insight Unlimited Public Realm Saved and Restored Award – Equal Winners: Isaac Theatre Royal (Theatre Royal Charitable Trust) and Bridge of Remembrance (SCIRT).

Continental Heritage Tourism Award – Equal Winners: Riccarton House (Riccarton Bush Trust) and Valuing our Heritage (Shop 7).

Heritage Management Services Outstanding Contribution to Heritage Award: Canterbury Cultural Collections Recovery Centre Project (Air Force Museum).

Ceres NZ Seismic Award: The Great Hall (Arts Centre of Christchurch).

Warren and Mahoney Future Heritage Awards: Miles Warren Building (Christ’s College Board of Governors).

During the Awards Ceremony 23 of the 80 entrants were awarded Highly Commended placings and seven received Commended. For full results and information on all of the finalists – see www.heritageawards.co.nz

A message was read from awards patron, The Right Honourable Helen Clark, ONZ, and former Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. Category Award Winners were presented with a Neil Dawson designed trophy in recognition of their achievements.

The judging panel for the awards was chaired by Dr Anna Crighton and included four other notable heritage experts: Jenny May, Director of Heritage Management Services; Tim Nees Architect in Residence, University of Canterbury and Chair of the Canterbury Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects; Sheila Watson Heritage New Zealand General Manager Southern Office; and Grant Wilkinson Structural Engineer, Ruamoko Solutions.

The Canterbury Heritage Awards recognise excellence in heritage retention and conservation, heritage tourism and education within the public and private sector and promotes the values of best practice heritage retention and conservation to the wider community.

-ENDS-

For more information, photos and full citations:

Nicola Henderson

Marketing Manager, TDM Events

03 343 2013 | 0274 609 230

nicola@tdmevents.co.nz

www.heritageawards.co.nz