HERITAGE EQ REPAIR & STRENGTHENING

The Rose Historic Chapel – Colombo Street Christchurch

This Category 2 listed historic structure owned by Christchurch City Council was severely damaged by the 2010 / 2011 EQ events. The building was secured and temporary works were undertaken to ensure no further structural damage would occur.

A team of engineers and architects were formed and the design was agreed by all stakeholders for the repair and strengthening of the building. This started with the deconstruction of the front brick Atrium wall and installation and under pinning of the foundations to the Nave and Chancel with excavations 1200 mm deep at three points across the width of the building.

Once completed the internal walls to both ends of the Nave were rebuilt in reinforced concrete poured in a total of eleven vertical sections. It was then reclad in Basalt to the exterior and plaster and timber panelling to the inside.

The sandstone Rose window and the Nave stained-glass window frames were rebuilt from scratch with many other parts of the roof, new slate and lead work, walls and buttress details. Finally, the existing refurbished and new stain glass windows were installed.

Over forty different contractors worked on the project, duration on site was 14 months for a budget of $1.8 Million.