Rural Bank

The Rural Bank Building will replace its predecessor, destroyed in the Christchurch Earthquake of February 2011. The building is designed to satisfy the requirements of tenants requiring A-Grade office space at the centre of the rebuilt city. The floor plates are therefore regular and flexible, able to accommodate both open plan and cellular fit-outs with equal ease while also providing excellent exposure to natural light and premium views of Cathedral Square, Christchurch’s most significant civic space. Inter-floor connectivity is provided for through a full-height atrium that connects all levels, allowing for multi-level tenants to interconnect with ease.

The building also takes seriously its responsibility as a ‘citizen’ in the reconstruction of Christchurch’s commercial infrastructure. Its strong rhythm of concrete columns, a clear and open grid of windows, the stone cladding of its shear core and the ordered overall arrangement of its parts all contribute to the building’s sense of strength and permanence. A generous through-site-link connects Gloucester Street to Cathedral Square, maximising retail frontages while also ensuring that the building will be seen as an essential part of the daily life of the inner city.

The new Rural Bank building will be one of the first new NZGBC 5-Star rated buildings to be erected in the ‘post-earthquake’ era, utilising a variety of sustainability strategies to ensure the building is both comfortable and very efficient in use.