Thursday 28 February 2013

Inspiring Concepts For New Urban Living In Christchurch Unveiled

Concepts for new urban living in Christchurch were unveiled in a public exhibition on Worcester Boulevard this evening.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, in announcing the exhibition, said that the concepts on display were entries received for Breathe, the New Urban Village design competition.

“In total there were 58 valid entries received from all over the globe and the most interesting 26 of these, as selected by the judges, are on display, including the four finalists, two of which are from New Zealand, one from Australia and the other from Italy.

“ We are rebuilding what will be one of the most modern and liveable cities in the world. The concepts presented of our new urban village give an insight into what Christchurch could look like and will be an inspiration to inspire and excite a new generation of residents to live within Christchurch’s Central City.

“This development will create a new community and help shape the future of urban living in Christchurch – it is that significant. Our goal is to have 24,000 people living in the Central City by 2041.

Architects had three months to create a concept in three drawings that would change the way people think about urban living, by designing an exemplar housing development that will be the catalyst for modern urban living in the heart of the city.

“I encourage residents and visitors to take the time to look at these very exciting concepts of how urban living in Christchurch may be in the future,” he said.

The finalists have three months to take their initial concepts through to a more developed design. The winning concept will be built adjacent to Latimer Square commencing December 2013.

The concepts will be on display until 29 March 2013.
For further information on the competition, view all entries and future updates: www.newurbanvillage.org.nz

Background:
The four finalists, as recently announced by the Building and Construction Minister, Maurice Williamson are:
Two from New Zealand based groups:

• Walker Architecture and Design, and Ceres NZ Development
• Jasmax, Viva Project, Evergreen Realty and Latitude Group Development.

The other two finalists are international entrants:
• From Australia, Ganellen, the University of Technology Sydney and Design King Company Architects
• From Italy, Anselmi Attiani Associated Architects, Cresco Group and Holloway Builders (NZ).

The site for the development is the former Charlie’s Backpackers on the corner of Gloucester and Madras Streets, adjacent to Latimer Square. It has been prominent in the social history of the city. Originally, a large timber hall for the Temple of Truth; then it became the Choral Hall – a popular venue for dances and concerts; then a boarding house was placed on the site by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA); and finally it was a private hostel and backpackers.

The new urban village is a joint Christchurch City Council, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and CERA/CCDU development.

ENDS

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