Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to support, through narrative, argument, research and a design, a future cultural organization in Christchurch that will concern itself with architecture and urbanism in general and the rebuild of its city in particular. The project, currently known as the Centre for Architecture and City making, aims to contribute to the quality of architecture and urban spaces within the city by creating and sustaining a culture of spatial thinking and bringing creative awareness, discussion and participation to a broader audience. In the first chapter of the paper, the nature of cities is explored, asking what cities are from a variety of perspectives while challenging conventions that may exist in urban thinking, proposing that cities are living processes instead of objects of intentional composition. A questioning stance is adopted, recognizing the complexity of the topic of urbanism. The second chapter explores how these insights apply to Christchurch in particular, describing potential issues and challenges that exist within the rebuild, while exploring the relevance and potential role for the Centre for Architecture and City making in contributing to the quality of the built environment. In the third chapter, similar organizations are explored from overseas for inspiration and reference. In the fourth chapter, a vision for the Centre is proposed, outlining its goals, values, methods and architectural brief for a physical location in Christchurch. In the fifth and final chapter, a design proposal is presented based on the ideas explored throughout the thesis, proposing how a physical space can best accommodate the future Centre for Architecture and City making.
