Plans are underway for a rooftop bar in Christchurch, housed in a former 1960s modernist office block on Manchester St which has sat unoccupied since the 2011 earthquakes. The bar will be part of a boutique hotel and will be run by Tom Newfield, who already runs the Welles St bar and is in the process of opening another venue of Lichfield St.
"We want to pay homage to the beautiful architecture,” Newfield explained. “I used to work in that area and I always thought it was a cool building. It is such a beautiful building and we will use the character of that building."
The bar is currently unnamed, but Newfield said that there were “a few working titles.” It will be one of Christchurch’s first high-rise rooftop bars – currently, the only other bar in the city which claims to be ‘rooftop’ is on the second floor. The proposed bar on Manchester St will be on the sixth floor.
"I think it will be a space to enjoy Christchurch from up top. We want to use that beautiful view of the Port Hills and the Alps."
James Stringer, the developer behind the boutique hotel, said that the bar and hotel would give the city the chance to enjoy a part of Christchurch history.
"I think it's quite an important thing that the public can use this building as well," he said. "We didn't want to lock it down. It's great that people will be able to come up and enjoy Peter Beaven's design. For people to come up here and experience it, that is pretty special."
Peter Beaven is best known as the architect behind the Lyttleton Tunnel Control Building and the Manchester Unity building.
