Chapel of the Waves to replace quake-damaged union church in New Brighton

Shannon Beynon Reporter from Christchurch Mail

An intimate chapel drawing inspiration from landmarks like the Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo, will be built in New Brighton this year.

The Chapel of the Waves will incorporate a wave-design feature roof – a salute to the beach zone where it will stand on the site of the old New Brighton Union Church in Union St which was demolished in September 2011 after Canterbury's earthquakes.

Minister Mark Gibson said the new "small but iconic chapel" in Union St would reflect New Brighton.

It will have seating for 40 people, and interior symbolism will strongly reflect the natural features of the beachside strip, including, for example, godwits.

"We've drawn inspiration from other iconic chapels such as Lake Tekapo's, also a small chapel at Hororata and the chapel at Arthur's Pass," Gibson said.


The $1 million-plus development will include an adjacent community house, with a designated hospitality area and administration space, which will provide an eastern hub for two staff of the Christchurch Methodist Mission.

"It's a very exciting project. There will be a huge celebration to which the community will be invited," Gibson said.

The decision to build a chapel rather than an all-purpose hall was driven by local residents and parishioners.

"They very clearly wanted a sacred place, set aside for the purpose."

The chapel and community house will be built with an insurance payout and financial support from the Central South Island Methodist Synod.

Ground work is about to start and construction will continue through to early next year.

The complex has been designed by PXA Architects. The building contractor is Avon Dickie, and the project manager is Tripro (Tailored Project Solutions).

The work had been delayed by resource consent issues due to changed requirements for floor levels in flood plain areas.

Raised floors would mean "a lot of ramping" to allow maximum accessibility for wheelchair users, Gibson said.

Existing hall facilities will also be upgraded to ensure they are more user-friendly for the community.

The Purple Door Boutique op-shop, which has operated from a separate building on site, will be relocated into the new community house.