Christchurch - Provincial Council Buildings

The neo-Gothic Provincial Council Buildings (by Benjamin Mountfort, 1859-65) to the northeast of the cathedral, beyond the little Avon River, are among the finest buildings in the city. There was originally a wooden building centerd on a courtyard, a stone extension and tower being added later. The showpiece of the current buildings is the ornate neo-Gothic Council Chamber, with wall mosaics, stained-glass windows, massive and richly decorated barrel vaults and galleries for spectators and the press (completed in 1965). In 1924 an annex was built in Armagh Street.