Regenerate Christchurch’s draft plan for a new-look Cathedral Square

Fancy a picnic in Cathedral Square? On a lawn, by a stream, near wetlands with native vegetation and birdlife?
Pack the thermos, that could be a future family outing if Regenerate Christchurch gets the green light for its Square revamp.
Its draft proposal, released publically today, divides Cathedral Square into three inter-connecting places - Cathedral Gardens, the Library Plaza, and Post Office Place - each with its own unique flavour.
There’s a nod to the history of the city’s most identifiable space, with the re-introduction of water.
“We’re going to use water as a metaphor and as a narrative that weaves right through the space and round behind the Cathedral and out to the library,” says James Lunday, General Manager of Strategy and Regeneration Planning, and a key architect of the new plan.
Lunday, a genial Scotsman who’s been working in Christchurch for 20 years, says many of the ideas put forward were generated by residents via Share an Idea, market research and consultation with an 18-member public focus group.
The draft proposal shows a restored Cathedral, but Lunday is keen to stress it’s there “for the purpose of this exercise”.
To the south of the Cathedral, bordered by the Millennium Hotel and the future Spark site, there are plans for a large green space - Cathedral Gardens.
“There’ll be a lawn here for people to come for picnics, for children to play, the water will be a feature that they can enjoy and that water will have native landscape and wetlands with it,” says Lunday.
The current diversion of Colombo Street around the Cathedral will be removed and the street re-aligned to run as it originally did, past the Cathedral itself, with traffic limited to trams and vehicles visiting the area.
The new city library, currently under construction, gets its own Plaza, with a focus on attracting young people to the area and could be a “skateboard friendly” zone.
With the Cenotaph also in the Plaza, the area will be able to host remembrance services.
New buildings encroaching onto the public square are a significant addition. Lunday’s aware they could be a much-debated aspect of the new design.
“Building in the square is controversial, I acknowledge that. If we build on public land we control what uses go in it. We’re suggesting that we create buildings here that have the ability to take cultural, arts, academic uses into them and bring activity to the events square during the day and night.”
The purpose-built events square would be known as Post Office Place.
Lunday says “this is the fiesta square - let’s get a bit of South American and Spanish in us and have fun.”
From fun to funding - who would pay for this grand scheme and how much would it cost to deliver? There are no firm answers at this stage.
Regenerate Christchurch’s Chief Executive, Ivan Iafeta, says a business case has yet to be developed. “Once we understand what people want to see in the centre of the city, then we’ll develop the business case that identifies the funding that will be required and those potential funding streams.”
The public is now being asked to provide feedback to engage.regeneratechristchurch.nz
Join James Lunday on a tour of the draft concept with Christchurch Dilemmas.
www.chchdilemmas.co.nz

[@KiwiMaker]

That would be really awesome to see it look like that! Im sure once the convention center is finished it will all start to take place and get tidied up

[@margaretbone5113]

I love your ideas , lets hope this goes ahead .

[@forsakenfionn4715]

I dont understand why nobody wants to restore regent theatre, I see it as more of an icon for Christchurch than the cathedral itself.

[@AuroraGameworks]

lets get on and get it done!

[@chriskeentechnician]

Must have a look to see if anything more has been down about redesigning the square 🤔

[@hamishperkins2307]

Looks great. Christchurch has the opportunity to be different and better. It's nearly ten years on, and Christchurch (Central) is almost stagnant. Kiwis are progressive. Let's get something unique actually happening!

[@peterhind9401]

'Let's get a bit of the South American and Spanish in us and have fun'. Yes, he really said that. How out of touch with the reality of Christchurch is this man!

[@nuziahta]

You should make earthquake proof buildings

[@petelosuaniu]

Too much clutter. Why build those buildings crowding the visual aesthetics of the public space?

[@keirmacdonald9755]

This was a whole bunch of public servants drawing triple figure salaries producing content to make it look like they deserve it.