Isaac Theatre Royal
Post-quake rebuild of the Theatre
The Isaac Theatre Royal (ITR) was subjected to severe shaking during the earthquakes of 22nd February and 13th June 2011 and sustained considerable damage; this damage was exacerbated by the constant and frequent aftershocks throughout 2011 and subsequent significant earthquake of 23rd December 2011.
The Back of House and Stage House which were newly built in 2004/05, suffered only moderate damage and were repaired, but the 1908 auditorium and 1928 foyer spaces were not considered repairable in their original form, due to the dangerous nature of the original unreinforced masonry walls. It was noteworthy that the structural earthquake strengthening carried out in 1999/2000 prevented complete collapse of the Theatre and enabled the retrieval and salvage of key heritage items and stabilisation of the Edwardian façade prior to deconstruction. All heritage fabric has been retained, restored and/or reinstated.
The design has achieved 100% of new earthquake building code with the original style and finesse of the original “Grand Old Lady” of Canterbury theatre being maintained throughout, but with various technical and design enhancements necessary to provide Christchurch with a world class theatrical experience for future decades in the strongest and safest performance venue in New Zealand.
