A guide to Ōtautahi Christchurch's heritage buildings

The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora

• Built: 1877
• Style: Gothic Revival
• Heritage Listing: Category I

The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora is recognised as a Tohu Whenua — one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most significant heritage experiences.

Over the years, Christchurch has lovingly restored some of its most treasured architectural gems, including The Arts Centre. A true landmark in the central city, the Gothic Revival-style Arts Centre complex comprises 23 buildings with an astonishing 22 listed by Heritage New Zealand, forming New Zealand’s largest collection of Category I heritage buildings.

Originally the precinct for Canterbury College and Christchurch Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools (from 1877 onward), the complex was designed by architects Benjamin Mountfort and Samuel Hurst Seager.

Built on ancestral Ngāi Tahu land, the site was gifted the name Te Matatiki Toi Ora in 2015, a tribute to its cultural mana and the knowledge-bearing springs beneath.

Today, you will find cafes, a restaurant, a cinema, boutique shops, event spaces and a hotel, with nods everywhere to the former inhabitants.

Isaac Theatre Royal

• Built: 1908
• Style: Edwardian Baroque
• Heritage Listing: Category I

The Isaac Theatre Royal has had quite the theatrical past and the current building is actually the third iteration of a theatre royal in Christchurch.

The previous two stood on the opposite side of Gloucester Street until the theatre as we know it today, in all its French Renaissance style glory, was erected in 1908.

The Edwardian style architecture was designed by Sidney and Alfred Luttrell and reflects the grandeur of early 20th century entertainment culture.

Meticulously restored following the earthquakes, with care to preserve original features including the marble staircase and painted down, the Isaac Theatre Royal is a must-visit if you are in Christchurch, so make sure you check out a performance while in town.

The Old Government Building

• Built: 1911–1913
• Style: Edwardian Baroque
• Heritage Listing: Category I

The Old Government Building located on Cathedral Square is another iconic property in the central city that first opened in 1913 to house - you guessed it - government departments.

With grand columns, arched windows and ornate detailing, the building reflects the confidence of early 20th century Canterbury and centralisation of public administration.

The grand Italian Renaissance Palazzo style design was the brainchild of renowned architect Joseph Clarkson Maddison and since 1996 has been home to visitor accommodation.

Alongside the hotel and a state-of-the-art health club, also on site is local favourite bar and restaurant OGB.

Canterbury Museum

• Established: 1867
• Style: Gothic Revival
• Heritage Listing: Category I Historic Place

Set within Christchurch’s Cultural Precinct, the Canterbury Museum has been a cornerstone of regional identity since opening in 1870. Designed by Benjamin Mountfort, its dramatic Victorian Gothic façade symbolises the colonial era’s architectural ambitions.

As a repository of over 2.3 million items, including Māori taonga, Antarctic exploration artifacts and natural history specimens, the museum chronicles the entwined narratives of indigenous culture, European migration and scientific discovery.

Due to earthquake damage in 2011, the building is undergoing continued restoration, including seismic strengthening and redevelopment, highlighting the city’s dedication to preserving its cultural legacy.

New Regent Street

• Built: 1931–32
• Style: Spanish Mission
• Heritage Listing: Category I (street & buildings)

Christchurch’s only complete heritage streetscape, New Regent Street was opened during the Great Depression in early the 1930s, pioneering a mall-style shopping experience with its pedestrian-lined street of 40 specialty shops.

In 1986, a one-way restriction was imposed for driving on New Regent Street. This measure was in place for only eight years before the street was closed to traffic in 1994 and turned into a pedestrian mall in preparation for the reintroduction of the Christchurch tram.

This revival embodies the resilience of Christchurch following earthquake setbacks, symbolising the city’s capacity to restore and celebrate communal spaces. The unified Spanish Mission architecture now lends the street a distinctive charm, giving it a vibrant, quirky feel and the unofficial title of Christchurch’s most beautiful street.

Riccarton House & Bush

• Established: 1856
• Style: Victorian/Edwardian
• Heritage Listing: Category I

Riccarton House and Bush is another site recognised as a Tohu Whenua — one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most significant heritage experiences.

Commissioned by pioneer Jane Deans, Riccarton House stands on the earliest permanent European settlement on the Canterbury Plains. Built in stages between 1855 and 1900, it exemplifies evolving design, from a modest colonial homestead to a refined Victorian-Edwardian residence.

Adjacent is Riccarton Bush (Pūtaringamotu), a protected stand of ancient podocarp forest with trees aged 400–600 years, making it one of New Zealand’s oldest natural reserves. Gifted in 1914 and maintained by the Riccarton Bush Trust, this site blends built heritage with ecological conservation, reminding visitors of both colonial history and the original landscape of Canterbury.

Lyttelton Timeball Station

• Built: 1876 (reconstructed following the 2011 earthquakes)
• Style: Victorian maritime timeball station
• Heritage Listing: Category I

Another site recognised as a Tohu Whenua, perched above Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour, the Lyttelton Timeball Station is one of Christchurch's most distinctive historic structures.

Originally built in 1876, the station played a vital role in maritime navigation, signalling the exact time each day so ships could accurately set their chronometers before sailing.

The Timeball was especially important for vessels departing on long ocean voyages, including early Antarctic expeditions from Lyttelton Harbour.

Today, following a careful post-earthquake reconstruction, it remains one of only a handful of working timeball stations in the world and offers spectacular harbour views alongside a fascinating glimpse into Canterbury's maritime history.