cathedral square

Overview

James, while GM at Regenerate Christchurch, was a leading force in realising the long-term vision for the city’s Cathedral Square. The design emphasises a return to the original purpose of the space – a heart for the city and a meeting place for visitors and locals alike. Cathedral Square is our living room: the heart of our city, and the place for us to gather, celebrate and join in rituals and festivals together. While once full of people, it is time for the Square to fulfil its role again. Thus the vision – a strategy to restore our heart and bring it back to life.

This strategy is centred around five regeneration initiatives:

A series of interconnected spaces:
Transform the Square into three interconnected spaces bound together by water and our cultural heritage.

Respecting and celebrating our unique cultural heritage:
Whiti-reia – bringing Maori ideas of culture and faith and embedding them into our heart.

Greening the Square:
Combining elements of soft and hard landscapes, and sculptured landforms.

A focal point for activity:
Social regeneration is the key to success, providing places for people. This could be a spectacular pavilion, covered space, or simply a well- appointed event space.

Enabling activation:
An event-ready space, strong partnerships, good infrastructure and a shared commitment to bring people to a place that reflects their history, culture and ideals will be crucial to the successful regeneration of the heart of our city.

The Square cannot remain symbolic of the city’s loss and instead needs to be a strong symbol of the vibrant future of the centre of our city. The long-term vision will provide the impetus and drive for the public and private sectors to work toward a common goal.