Located on the banks of the Avon River backed by Oxford Terrace, the recently dedicated Canterbury Earthquake Memorial is now open to the public.

The memorial provides a place to reflect on the events that changed Canterbury forever - paying respect to the 185 people who lost their lives on 22 February 2011 and those who were seriously injured.

Walkspace, approached by the head client, provided detail design and supply services in regards to the memorial seating as well as the Kohatu Pounamu installation.

Over the course of 2016 Walkspace in collaboration with the architect Grega Vezjak worked to realise the original seating concept and to develop and deliver a suite that integrated seamlessly with the aesthetic and values of the site as a whole.

The Kohatu Pounamu installation proved a challenging design concept in many respects. The Kohatu follows an established Maori tradition of placing Pounamu at important entranceways. The ritual of touching the stone connects visitors back to the land and all those who have been there before them.  

The Pounamu stone, sourced from a remote South Westland valley was gifted by Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio, an Ngāi Tahu sub-tribe. Sitting below the Pounamu, a solid Carrara marble base has been skilfully carved by local carver Fayne Robinson. A water feature representing the mauri of wai (spiritual energy of water) sprays water across the pounamu. The water also accentuates the rich green colour of the pounamu.

The team at Walkspace are privileged to be part of such an important project and acknowledge the support and dedication of all involved.

For a full story of the project, please refer to the documentary below.

As always if you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to contact the team at Walkspace