Christchurch - Arts Centre

Near the museum are the neo-Gothic buildings (also designed by Mountfort and built from 1876 onwards) formerly occupied by Canterbury University, which were converted into the Arts Centre in the 1970s, when the University moved west to the Ilam district. The finest features are the Great Hall (1882), the central clock tower (1877) and the main entrance.

At the west corner of the main block is the room in which Rutherford carried out his early physics experiments. The famous philosopher Karl Popper (1902-94) also taught here (1937-45).

The Arts Centre is home to various dramatic, ballet and musical ensembles, and almost every day there are performances of high quality. Here too there is a great variety of shops, galleries and stalls displaying and selling art and craft objects, as well as cafés and restaurants. It presents a busy and bustling scene, particularly at weekends.