Mair Gallery, 15th October–1st November 2008

From the mid-1950s until the early 1970s the centre of gravity in New Zealand architectural design shifted from Auckland to Christchurch. The distinctive work of Christchurch architects in this period received unmatched international critical attention, securing them a place in the global history of modernist architecture. Existing research on the Christchurch school is dominated by the core individual Christchurch architects acknowledged to have directed attention southwards (Paul Pascoe, Miles Warren, Peter Beaven, and Don Donnithorne).

Their work, however, occurred within a rich local scene and this exhibition will place the work of these architects within a more detailed regional context through new research into the high-quality architectural production of lesser known individuals and architectural practices in Christchurch, including: Hall & McKenzie; Trengrove, Trengrove & Marshall; Charles Thomas; Lucking & Vial, Hollis & Leonard; Minson, Henning-Hanson & Dines; Cowey & McGregor; and the Christchurch division of the Ministry of Works. Curated by Associate Professor Ian Lochhead and Dr Jessica Halliday, the exhibition includes original architectural drawings and models, archival photographs by architectural photographers of the day and audio recordings of architects's own recollections and commentaries.

In conjunction with the opening of 'Constructing the Modern City', the South Island launch of Long Live the Modern: New Zealand's New Architecture, 1904-1984 published by Auckland University Press, will also be held at COCA, 14 October 2008, 5.30pm. The book's editor, Dr Julia Gatley, lecturer in Architecture at the University of Auckland will be attending.