THE RARE SURVIVOR
With decades of alterations, not all of them considerate of the building’s heritage, Three Sixty Architecture was tasked with the restoration and rebirth of one of the icons of Oxford Terrace – the Public Trust Building.
Originally built in 1922 and designed by Cecil Wood on the western edge of the Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct, the changes culminated in severe, but not irreparable, damage in the Christchurch earthquakes. The building was originally slated to be demolished, but Box112’s ambitious decision was to save and restore. Three Sixty Architecture’s new internal planning has made the building commercially viable, with a mixture of appropriately sized options for commercial and hospitality tenants.
The project recently received an award in the ‘Heritage’ category at the Te Kahui Whaihanga, New Zealand Institute of Architects 2021 local awards. The jury’s citation states, “Installing new uses in heritage buildings is not always an easy task, but in this case has been undertaken with respect and sympathy, including the addition of a rooftop bar, discreetly set back from the upper parapet. This heritage building is now a rare survivor of its type in the central city and has been carefully and meticulously conserved and restored.”
Dean Cowell, Director of Three Sixty Architecture, says it was ‘important to define the existing from the new’.
“Where new elements were added, we used a palette of materials that complemented but were clearly not part of the existing fabric. The stand out feature on this project is the remodelling of the penthouse level into a modern architectural form and changing the use to the rooftop bar, which brings the public into the stunning building for all to experience.”
He goes on to say that the entire practice was ‘humbled by the praise’.
“The recognition from Te Kahui Whaihanga really is a credit to all those involved who delivered such an amazing result for our city.”