A Christchurch Landmark
Led by principal architect Bruno Mendes of Woods Bagot, the completed Te Pae stands as its own piece of civic architecture amid the continuing re-mending of the city, celebrating and reflecting the region’s multi-cultural heritage. The design embeds craft, cultural meaning, and sensitivity to the place of Ngāi Tahu / Ngāi Tuahuriri. Puamiria Parata-Goodall is a descendant of these people and advised Mendes and his team on the cultural values and narratives throughout the design process.
Ornate Herringbone Exterior
It was 2014, and Mendes was on his way to a workshop early on in the building’s design. He snapped a photograph of the landscape below, a unique braided riverbed of the large Rakaia River, which sparked a vital design concept for the project.
Planted alongside the Avon River Precinct, Te Pae’s design was majorly inspired by the braided riverbeds of the Canterbury Plains, all thanks to Bruno and his photo. The herringbone tiled façade, irregular curved sections, and windows that cut across its form reference these rivers and the shape of New Zealand’s iconic Southern Alps, another influence in the design central to the Ngāi Tahu origin story.
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