Following the devastating 2011 Christchurch earthquake, The Court Theater, New Zealand’s largest professional theater company was forced to vacate its historic home in the Arts Center and operate from a temporary venue. In 2020, Christchurch City Council partnered with The Court Theater to develop a new, purpose-built facility in the city center. The result is a world-class, sustainable theater complex that anchors the revitalized cultural core of Otautahi Christchurch.
Designed through an international collaboration between Haworth Tompkins and New Zealand’s Athfield Architects, and constructed by Hawkins, the new theater represents a significant investment in the future of performing arts in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The completed theater is not only a space for performance but a fully integrated production house. The facility includes a 379-seat main playhouse, a 130-150-seat studio theater, rehearsal and education spaces, workshops for set building, costume and props creation, and front-of-house amenities including a café and bar. Unlike many theaters, The Court remains a producing theater, meaning all creative elements from lighting and sound to sets and costumes are developed in-house, on site – an extraordinary cultural asset for New Zealand.
The main auditorium is configured as a courtyard theater – compact, intimate and flexible, enabling a wide range of productions and reinforcing the close relationship between performers and audience. The second, smaller studio theater allows for experimental and community-driven work, increasing opportunities for diverse storytelling and engagement.
At the heart of the design is a commitment to openness, visibility, and connectivity. Public and production areas are connected physically and visually, allowing audiences to witness the creative process. Key back-of-house functions are intentionally exposed or partially visible to the public, reinforcing a sense of shared creative endeavor and transparency. The building layout supports a dynamic flow of people and ideas, structured around the central auditorium.
The structure is formed of a mix of mass timber, steel, and concrete, combining the warmth and sustainability of timber with the strength and resilience of steel and concrete. Timber is used throughout the interior to create a welcoming, tactile atmosphere while also acting as a natural humidity regulator, absorbing and releasing moisture as needed. The mass timber structure plays a key role in the building’s sustainability – unlike conventional construction materials, mass timber locks in carbon throughout its lifespan, storing it as embodied carbon and contributing to the building’s overall environmental performance.
The façade integrates robust and contextual materials that respond to the preponderance of glass and aluminum facades in the post-quake rebuild of Otautahi Christchurch. They are scaled and proportioned to acknowledge the neighboring heritage buildings, while carefully placed glazing connects interior spaces to the public realm and surrounding precinct.
Supporting Haworth Tompkins and Athfield Architects, Charcoalblue developed the theater’s specialist technical design, the building is the first in New Zealand to incorporate powered flying systems, allowing for greater technical capability and staging versatility. Throughout, the facility has been designed to meet high standards of accessibility and performance, with a clear emphasis on inclusivity and future-proofing.
The new Court Theater restores a vital part of Otautahi Christchurch’s identity, serves as a hub for artistic production, and acts as a catalyst for the continued development of the central city’s arts precinct. Sustainability, inclusivity and innovation have been embedded in every aspect of the project, from material choices to spatial organization and technical infrastructure.
The completion of The Court Theater marks the beginning of a new era for performing arts in Otautahi Christchurch. It is a building shaped by collaboration, driven by creativity, and rooted in resilience, a space where the city’s stories will be created, shared, and celebrated for generations to come.
“More than a building, The Court Theater is a triumph of sustainable design and collaboration, delivering intimacy, clarity, and world-class performance spaces while restoring Christchurch’s cultural heart,” concluded Ross Gumbly – Theater Advisor/Lead Director The Court Theater.
