Christchurch Bus Interchange

The Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 killed 185 people and rendered the centre of the city uninhabitable. Damaged buildings were still being demolished five years after the 'quake. In the aftermath of the disaster there was intense discussion about the rebuilding of the city. A fundamental question was: Should the city actually have a CBD and, if so, what shape should it take? As businesses fled to the safer suburbs, the agencies in charge of urban recovery announced that the central city would be rebuilt – with a smaller footprint – and that it, and the recovery as a whole, would be buttressed by substantial public ‘anchor’ projects. The first anchor to be put down is the Christchurch Bus Interchange. Four principles guided its construction: urban integration, customer comfort, operational excellence, and value. The 3500m2 building is designed for safety and ease of use, and is intended to promote public confidence in public transport. It’s a clear signal that, after several challenging years, Christchurch is moving again. (text: John Walsh, Future Islands catalogue, Islands of (Im)Possibility).

Location:
Christchurch

Practice:
Architectus

Project team:
Patrick Clifford, Carsten Auer, Michael Thomson, Severin Soder, Alistair Scott, John Strand, Marianne Calvelo, Luis Cuello, Mark Gifford, Matthew Holloway, Peter Je s, Stephen Lammas, Hugh Smith, Warren Nicholson and Yi Ting Yau with Aurecon, Marshall Day, Coffey, and Thiess-Southbase
Joint Venture

Status:
Completed 2015