Accessible parking
To use any of these parks, you must display an official mobility parking permit.
On-site: The Arts Centre’s carparks off Hereford St and at Market Square (entrance off Montreal St) have two mobility parks each. There are no time limits on those parks.
Street: There are four mobility parks on the Rolleston Avenue frontage of The Arts Centre near the intersection with Worcester Boulevard, and one mobility carpark on the Hereford St frontage directly outside the UC building.
Building Accessibility for wheelchair users and others with mobility impairment
Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre is a mostly accessible site.
How to access:
Clock Tower: There are ramps from both 2 Worcester Boulevard and North Quad, and Quad Eatery has its own ramp at the front entrance.
Great Hall: The ramp off the eastern end of the North Quad will take you to the front entrance. By arrangement, the goods ramp from 2 Worcester Boulevard will take you to the back entrance – please phone ahead or ask at Arts Centre Visitor Services in the Clock Tower about that entrance.
Cloisters Studio: Use the ramp at the northeast entrance from the North Quad.
School of Art (Cellar Door, Maker Workshop): Use the ramp at the end of the School of Art building nearest 1 Hereford St. You will find it very close to the corner with the UC building, next to the bike parking.
Chemistry Building (UC School of Music, Teece Museum of Classical Antiquity): Enter via the glass doors at 3 Hereford St. To do so, please ring the doorbell on the accessibility sign, which you will find just to the left of the doors. The Teece Museum has additional detailed information on its webpage here.
Te Whare Tapere: there is a ramp at the entrance
The Arts Centre Shop & Artists’ Studios: flat entrance
Boys’ High Building: Use the ramps at the back of the building to access the ground floor. There are two entrances: closest to Market Square leads you through Fudge Cottage and past the stairs to the front of the building; nearer to the Engineering Building leads you past the toilets and is best for direct access to the lift.
To get to the upper level, use the lift, which is signposted. From the back, the lift is past the toilets and down the corridor on the left. From the front, the lift is to the right of the stairs and along the corridor.
Engineering Building, upper level (Health Technology Centre and co-working space): Use the Boys’ High lift. Turn left out of the lift, go to the end of the corridor and the Rauora Revival Exhibition, then go through the exhibition, using the internal ramp, and out the back where you will find the Health Technology Centre on your right.
Altiora: flat entrance
Due to the heritage nature of our buildings, a few areas are only accessible by stairs.
These include:
- Clock Tower upper level (Arts Centre offices)
- Rutherford’s Den upper level (Victorian-era lecture theatre) and basement (science lab)
- Classics upper level (offices)
- Common Room (rehearsal space)
- Observatory Tower (Townsend Teece telescope; Te Waiatatanga o Te Atua The Song of the Gods exhibition)
- Registry Extension upper level (offices)
Accessible bathrooms
Boys’ High Building: towards the back, go up the ramp and into the building through the marked door near Engineering. Bathrooms are on the left.
Engineering Building near The Arts Centre Shop: look for the door in the building opposite the shop entrance, underneath the glass overbridge.
From the North Quad: there are two options, both of which require you to take a ramp up on to the cloister. On the east side, the toilet entrance is near the Antony Gormley sculpture. On the west side, the toilet entrance is inside the Classics Building near the Great Hall. The heritage entranceway is uneven.
From the South Quad: take the ramp by the bike parking where UC and Cellar Door are closest. Once inside, follow the signs.
Disability Assist Dogs
Disability assist dogs are welcome throughout The Arts Centre.
For the benefit of international visitors: in New Zealand, disability assist dogs have the legal right to access any public place and private business, and to travel on all forms of public transport.
More details about access for disability assist dogs is here.
