Open day at Te Pae

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, officially opened prior to Christmas, will be on show for the public to check out on Sunday 13 February.

The first new-generation convention centre in New Zealand, Te Pae offers world-leading conferencing technology required for modern events. With a 2000-person capacity, the facility already has about 100 confirmed events in its first 12 months, including more than 50 multi-day conferences that will collectively bring more than 70,000 people to the city.

Estimates are that it will inject about $60m per year into the local economy, with international conferences anticipated to generate more visitor spending than some international sporting events.

Reflecting the region’s bicultural heritage, the completed Te Pae holds its own as a piece of civic architecture in the ongoing re-mending of the city. Its design embeds craft, cultural meaning and a sensitivity to the place of Ngāi Tūāhuriri / Ngāi Tahu, with the exterior wrapped in a fluid façade of nearly 43,000 tiles, evoking the expansive braided rivers whose fast-flowing waters formed the Canterbury Plains.

Built and designed by CPB Contractors, Woods Bagot with Warren and Mahoney, and Kamo Marsh, Holmes Consulting, WSP and Tonkin & Taylor, in consultation with Matapopore, the centre cost almost $450m. It represents the Government’s single biggest contribution to the regeneration of Christchurch.