Concrete pour major milestone in Court Theatre build

Construction of The Court Theatre’s new home in central Christchurch has begun.

Contractors have poured the first concrete on the Colombo St and Gloucester Street site which will see The Court Theatre return to the city in the heart of the Performing Arts Precinct.

“It’s going to be exciting for construction to really ramp up for people to see visual progress,” Head of Vertical Capital Delivery Darren Moses says.

“One of the first jobs is working on the building’s foundations and we’ll be pouring concrete over a number of days for this. The next step will be the main construction of buildings, with precast concrete panels, steel and large timber elements all forming part of the building core.”

Work on the superstructure will progress in phases, then the roof will be installed and once the building is enclosed fit-out works can start.

 “All of us at The Court Theatre are thrilled to see progress on site. Well done to all concerned," Court Theatre Chief Executive Barbara George says.

Once complete, the new three-storey building will include a 375-seat playhouse theatre, a 130-seat theatre, an education studio and a number of multipurpose spaces which will ensure a full range of theatre experiences are available for all ages of audiences, from all parts of our community.

The Council has committed $46 million towards the development of the Precinct, which includes the construction of The Court Theatre.

The Court is also fundraising $12 million towards the move to its new home, with $7 million a direct contribution to the construction. The Crown has provided the land and $3 million under the terms of the global settlement agreement with the Council.