Rose Chapel, Christchurch

Project info

Just three days from celebrating its 100th birthday, the Rose Chapel, in Christchurch, was severely damaged when the February 2011 earthquake struck. The splendid rose window, for which it was named, collapsed, leaving a gaping hole in the main façade. Would this small but iconic piece of Gothic Revival architecture vanish into history, like so many other heritage buildings in the city – or would it rise from the rubble to see another century?

DPA Architects worked to repair and restore the Rose Chapel to its former glory. This complex restoration project involved reinstating fallen masonry, replacing structural brick walls with concrete versions, and strengthening the roof and foundations, as well as meticulous repairs to the stained glass windows.

In what would be a seemingly unlikely scenario, the restored Rose Chapel formed a connection with another prominent earthquake-ravaged historic building. Built as the Royal Exchange Building, and becoming the Regent Theatre in 1930, the grand, turreted Edwardian building on Cathedral Square was demolished in 2011 following the earthquake. However, the demolition was not too early to save some of the heritage features of the building, including its original wrought iron spiral staircase. Fortunately for the Rose Chapel, this staircase was identical to the destroyed staircase of the chapel – albeit unfurling in the anti-clockwise direction as opposed to clockwise. And so the unique opportunity arose to restore and relocate the Regent Theatre’s staircase to the Rose Chapel.

The Rose Chapel restoration was awarded a Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects National Award for Heritage in 2019.

Photography: Sarah Rowlands