Open Christchurch: Discover Ao Tawhiti

Ao Tawhiti: Discover Christchurch’s only vertical school.

Open Christchurch invites the public to discover their city through architecture with free, one-off access to special buildings, and a range of themed walking tours.

Discover what a contemporary urban school experience can be when Ao Tawhiti opens up it doors to the public of all ages for one day only on Saturday 7 September.

Designed by Stephenson & Turner, Ao Tawhiti is Christchurch’s only vertical school. With a top floor gymnasium, and classrooms, studios, labs and socials spaces spread over its four storeys, this metro school’s identity is perhaps best defined by what it doesn’t have on campus. There is no staffroom or library; there are no grounds.

The school weaves itself into the city, which serves as its playground and as an extension of its classrooms. With a central location in the SALT district, the school shares city facilities – like parks, sports grounds and the library Tūranga – with other communities.

Come along and enjoy the behind-the-scenes access between 10am and 4pm, when you can encounter this special building on your own terms and at your own pace. See first-hand how school architecture shapes the experience for the students who attend it.

Two very different inner-city school buildings also open as part of the Open Christchurch programme: The Cathedral Grammar Junior School, a Japanese influenced timber building, on Sunday 30 June; and Christ’s College Memorial Dining Hall, a stunning heritage building, on Sunday 4 August.

Experience the impact of good design in our city and how well-designed places can improve people’s lives.

Open Christchurch runs from 30 June–7 September, with one event per week for eleven weeks.
Visit our website (teputahi.org.nz) for further details.

Photo by: Patrick Reynolds