A collection of neo-Gothic heritage buildings that make up this arts centre suffered extensive earthquake damage and there was concern that they would need to be demolished. The restoration and strengthening of each of the historic buildings offered a unique set of challenges including technical site constraints, variability of existing materials, and extent of earthquake damage. The structural solution of each building needed to be tailored to limit its visual impact while working within a constrained budget.
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.
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.