For the second year in a  row, our very own Puaka-James Hight building was showcased to the public over the weekend as part of the 2022 Open Christchurch architectural festival. For those of you who may not have come across this event, Open Christchurch is a free, one-weekend-only festival of exceptional architecture. The participating buildings were open to everyone in Ōtautahi Christchurch on Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May (UC participated on Sunday only). The full programme for the Open Christchurch festival can be viewed here.

In total, 35 individual groups equalling approximately 90 people came through to explore our 53-metre-tall beacon of brutalism. The team (Hui, Isabella, Libby, Zahra, and Zina) greeted visitors, answered questions, and gave on-demand guided tours for those who wanted them. A self-guided tour option was also available and proved to be a highly popular choice for those who wished to explore the building on their own. A display showcasing the architecture, construction, and library history – featuring archival material from our Macmillan Brown Library and 3D printed models of PJH made in Te Rua makerspace – was erected in the space between the lifts on level 2 of Puaka-James Hight library. Postcards, bookmarks, badges, and stickers featuring Puaka-James Hight were given away as souvenirs of the event. For those who could not make it in-person, an online collection of Puaka-James Hight-themed items from MB’s archives were available to view on the Kā kohika website.

Overall, the day went smoothly, and it was very rewarding to see past students, and children of past students, reminisce on their time spent in our library, describing what it was like in their day. Comments from guests included “great job on the display” “love the postcards” and “you have done a great job!”. One family shared a heart-warming story of farewelling a family member (who had worked at in the library) the very same day as the Open Chch event. They commented that it was very special to see where their father/grandfather had once worked on the day they were saying goodbye. A very special guest who also came to see the building was one of the original architects from the Ministry of Works team that designed the building, Brian Koller. Brian is pictured below (front left) with the other designers in celebration of the NZIA Enduring Architect Award, which is part of the display on level 2.

While the building itself has undergone various changes over the years since its construction between 1969-1974, the overall consensus of those attending the event was that many fond memories are associated with Puaka-James Hight building. We plan to run this event again in future to facilitate the continuation of these lovely memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ngā mihi,                                                                                                                                  Isabella (on behalf of the Open Chch event team)