The Great Hall at the Arts Centre (Te Matatiki Toi Ora)

About this place

The Great Hall is the principal event space at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre, 2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch Central. It is a significant heritage landmark designed by the Gothic Revival architect Benjamin Mountfort and was built as the hall for Canterbury College, the forerunner of the University of Canterbury. The building has been strengthened and restored following the Canterbury earthquakes, and the wider Arts Centre site is UNESCO award-winning for its heritage restoration.

The hall's most recognisable feature is the large north-facing stained glass Memorial Window, originally installed in 1938 and made up of 4,000 individual pieces of glass. It is dedicated to the memory of all staff and students who served in the First World War. The room is also renowned for its acoustics, which is why it is regularly used for concerts and recitals as well as corporate work.

### Capacities

Published maximum layouts are:

| Layout | Capacity | | --- | --- | | Theatre with centre aisle (7 seats each side) | 217, plus up to 30 on stage | | 10-seat round tables (13 tables) | 130, plus up to 20 on stage across 2 tables | | Rectangle tables, 3 rows (18 tables) | 144, plus up to 16 on stage across 2 tables | | Cocktail | 250 |

The venue notes these are absolute maximums and do not allow for a dancefloor, bar, caterer's serving tables, sound desk or additional furniture, so working capacities for a gala dinner or awards night will be lower.

### Facilities and accessibility

The hall has modern heating, lighting and sound fitted into the heritage fabric, including a lighting rig, audio system and a large projection screen. There is an open fireplace and access to a kitchenette and green room. The hall is wheelchair accessible and a wheelchair lift is available so that performers and presenters can access the stage – a meaningful accessibility point for conference programmes with speakers on stage.

Catering is handled through an approved caterers list rather than an in-house kitchen, so menus and service styles are arranged with one of the venue's nominated catering partners. Hire enquiries, availability and pricing are handled through the venue's enquiry form.

### Event types

The Arts Centre markets the Great Hall for conferences and lectures, corporate events, gala dinners, performances and concerts, exhibitions, weddings and memorial services. It sits within a walkable central-city arts precinct with cafes, bars, galleries and museums on the same site, which supports pre- and post-event dispersal and partner programmes without transport.

### Suitability

A strong choice for conference plenaries and lectures up to around 217 theatre-style, awards dinners and gala functions to roughly 130 to 144 seated, product launches and cocktail receptions to 250. Its heritage character, acoustics and central Christchurch location make it particularly well suited to incentive dinners and set-piece conference evenings. See more Christchurch venues.