Stonework

Began in 1876, the bulk of The Arts Centre buildings are built of brick with an outer stone facing. The grey volcanic basalt rocks came from Banks Peninsula, although these quarries have long since closed.

With the assistance of convict labour and wooden scaffolding, rocks were shaped with hand tools and mortared into position.

The creamy-white coloured stone around the windows is Oamaru lime stone which is easy to carve to give great ornamental effect. However these qualities make it susceptible to airbourne pollution, and often a dark crust builds up causing rapid deterioration.

With an on-site stonemason and a summer programme of mist cleaning, the stonework to all buildings is being progressively repaired and reinstated to international best practice, ensuring the buildings survival for generations to come.