Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre (TMTO) is a collection of 23 neo-gothic heritage buildings that hold immense importance both locally and internationally, and have been a haven of knowledge and learning since the 1800’s.
After the devastating Canterbury earthquakes in 2011, TMTO represented one of the largest heritage structural strengthening challenges in the southern hemisphere, with many questioning whether these historic structures could ever be restored to their former glory. The scale of damage seemed overwhelming, and it was feared these buildings might be lost to history. Through dedication, perseverance, and community support, TMTO began to reclaim its place as a vibrant cultural hub amidst the city’s ongoing recovery efforts.
Now, 14 years and tens of thousands of engineering hours later, TMTO stands tall as a project that succeeded against enormous odds, once again connecting locals and visitors to the city’s heritage.
In 2024 the project received a structural award:
"for driving a complex strengthening and refurbishment that demonstrated technical excellence and a committment to preserving historical character"
“The success of the project really tells the story of what is possible when structural engineers are involved from the earliest stage. They were a driving force from the temporary remediation the day after the earthquake to the reopening 12 years later. A very impressive project from a technical perspective but also in the commitment to knowledge sharing and offering valuable lessons for the industry.” – IStructE judges
In the wake of disaster…
The days and months immediately following the earthquake were the most confronting and challenging. We had three engineers on the ground visually assessing damage and risk, prioritising areas for immediate attention, guiding temporary securing initiatives at key points, and overseeing deconstruction. The ongoing aftershocks often meant previously assessed areas needed to be revisited and re-assessed, and in some cases completed work had to be revalidated. Collaborating closely with the construction team and other experts, we worked quickly to secure as many buildings as possible. In many cases our solutions were ‘back of the envelope’ and drawn on-site, followed by design calculations to verify or make amendments.
One huge challenge was the extreme lack of available materials in a devastated city, which required us to repeatedly revise designs to match what we could source. Large quantities of readily available steel, timber, and plywood were ordered without knowing what exactly was needed, with designs tailored on the fly to suit.
Deconstruction of the damaged structures was also extremely challenging and dangerous. Wherever possible, heritage materials were salvaged, carefully stored, and re-used across the site. This included roof slates, native timbers, interior and exterior basalt, and the limestone and clay brick masonry claddings. This not only helped preserve the heritage character of the site but also reduced waste by reusing materials.
“Targeted structural engineering has been a critical element in the success of this project, making a huge impact by bringing the structures back to life while preserving their heritage character. It stands as an exceptional example of seismic strengthening of masonry buildings.” – IStructE judges
The project was also viewed as an opportunity to “future-proof” the buildings, implementing a site-wide strengthening scheme while making them more comfortable, useable, and efficient to run and maintain. Modern energy efficient lighting and environmentally friendly systems, including site wide reticulation of heating water for radiators from a ground source heat exchange system were installed throughout the site, buildings were insulated, and accessibility vastly improved through the installation of numerous lifts. TMTO runs as a charitable trust, so reducing running costs was vital to safeguard its future.
The project had many detractors in its initial stages due to its scale and complexity. It proves what can be achieved with the right team, technical excellence, and approach. It was viewed as a waste of money waiting to happen. We worked extremely closely with TMTO stakeholders for more than a decade to help formulate strengthening and restoration strategies for each building, defining budgets and refining designs accordingly. It stands as a great example of what a close, long-term working relationship and high level of trust between a structural engineering firm and property owner (and a huge wider group of stakeholders) can achieve.
The outcome is a culturally important community hub, delivered back to the people of Christchurch with heritage features preserved in perfect order—as well as upgrading the facilities for modern needs. A genuine triumph of engineering that we’re incredibly proud to have delivered.