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Band rotunda in Christchurch, New Zealand From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Edmonds Band Rotunda is a rotunda in Christchurch, New Zealand. Created by baking powder manufacturer Thomas Edmonds in 1929 to celebrate his 50th year of living in the city, it was originally used as a place for brass bands to play music and was converted to a restaurant in the 1980s. The 2010 and 2011 Christchurch earthquakes caused significant damage to the rotunda, and it had to be deconstructed. After being rebuilt, the rotunda re-opened in 2021, and is now used as a place for performances.
Edmonds Band Rotunda | |
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![]() Edmonds Band Rotunda in 2024 | |
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General information | |
Architectural style | High Renaissance |
Location | Christchurch, New Zealand |
Coordinates | 43°31′41″S 172°38′20″E |
Opened | 11 November 1929 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Victor Hean |
Designated | 11 November 1981[1] |
Reference no. | 1865 |
The rotunda has been listed with Heritage New Zealand as a Category 2 historic place since 1981.
The Edmonds Band Rotunda was created by Thomas Edmonds, creator of the Edmonds baking powder, to celebrate his 50th year of living in Christchurch, as a part of his River Bank Improvement Scheme.[2] Listening to brass bands was a common form of entertainment at the time, including for Edmonds, and brass bands were subsidised by the city council. Edmonds's offer to build the rotunda was accepted by the council in April 1929, and by May, the contract to build it had been given to builder Neil McGillivray.[3]
After construction of the rotunda had already started, Edmonds unveiled the foundation stone 26 September 1929,[2] after he had unveiled the foundation stones of two of his other buildings on the same day. The rotunda was formally opened on 11 November 1929, where Edmonds's wife cut the ribbon, and nine bands played.[3]
Due to a decline in the public interest of listening to band concerts, the rotunda gradually become unused. So in 1985 or 1986 it was changed to a restaurant, with the name of the Thomas Edmonds Restaurant,[2][3] and later the Retour Restaurant.[4] The rotunda's character remained the same, with windows being added between the pillars as well as striped awnings, and the basement was converted into a kitchen and had bathrooms added. It opened on 1 March 1987, with the attendance of two of Edmonds's daughters.[5][2]
After its supporting structures were damaged in the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes,[5][6] the rotunda was added to the city's demolition list in March 2012 because it was considered dangerous.[7] Deconstruction was finished by September,[8] with the dome and other parts being saved on the ground nearby.[5][6] As the dome sat on the ground for the ensuing years, thieves gradually picked off its copper roofing.[9]
The city council approved the rebuild of the rotunda in September 2016,[10] and allocated $1.5 million to it.[5] It was originally projected to start in early 2017, but when that time arrived, it was delayed to 2018.[5] Restoration was shifted again in February 2019 to September 2019.[11] The council cited "budgetary reasons" for these delays.[6] In July 2019 the city council allocated $1.6 million for the rebuild,[12] and in February 2021 the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust donated $1 million of the $1.5 million needed.[13][6]
The rebuild started in March 2020.[14][6] The dome was placed onto the rotunda in November 2020;[13][15] its weight required a crane to be transported from the North Island.[15] Restoration of the rotunda itself was finished in July 2021, and landscaping done in August. The restoration saw the addition of roll-up panel screens to protect the interior from the weather.[16] Re-opening occurred in October 2021.[6]
The council did not want the rebuilt rotunda to retain the basement which was used for the restaurant,[17][10] and Gerald Edmonds, the great-great-grandson of Thomas Edmonds, suggested that Thomas Edmonds would have not wanted the rotunda to be used as a restaurant, as it was made for music.[17] The rotunda is not as a restaurant anymore; instead, it is used for performances, wedding photos and as a place to sit and relax.[6]
The rotunda is located in Cambridge Terrace and overlooks the Avon River, near the Manchester Street Bridge.[2] It was designed by Victor Hean, in a High Renaissance style,[3] and has been listed with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category 2 historic place since 1981.[1]
The rotunda has an octagonal shape, with a height of 12 metres (39 ft) and a diameter of 10.2 metres (33 ft). Each corner of the octagon has a 4.8-metre-tall (16 ft) pillar, which all work together to hold up the dome. The dome is made of timber, is sheathed in copper,[3] and has a weight of over 80 tonnes.[13] There is a semi-circlular seat to the east of the rotunda, and to the west is shelter made of reinforced concrete, originally used to hold band equipment.[3]
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