Arts Centre

Arts Centre Review

The Arts Centre was badly damaged in the earthquakes and is currently closed. At this writing you can best see the exterior of its fine collection of Gothic Revival stone buildings from Worcester Boulevard. Originally built as the Canterbury University, the buildings were transformed into a terrific arts, shopping, and dining complex when the campus was moved to suburban Ilam. Displays included Rutherford's Den, where physicist Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937), the university's most illustrious student, conducted early experiments in radioactivity. It was Rutherford who first succeeded in splitting the atom, a crucial step in the harnessing of atomic power. The Arts Centre also housed more than 40 specialty shops and studios, as well as art galleries, theaters, and art-house cinemas. Rebuilding will proceed over the coming years, but in the meantime the Saturday and Sunday Market has reopened across the road in Worcester Boulevard where you'll find jewelry, prints, and handmade clothing and crafts, as well as food stalls.