Staircase finds heavenly new home

A wrought iron spiral staircase from the demolished Regent Theatre has found a new home inside the historic Rose Chapel in Colombo St.

The restored staircase inside the Rose Chapel.

The heritage-listed chapel - formerly known as St Mary’s Convent Chapel - partially collapsed in the Canterbury earthquakes, but a year-long repair and restoration project is bringing the 107-year-old building back to life.

The chapel’s original spiral staircase was damaged beyond repair in the earthquakes but in a lucky twist the Regent Theatre’s spiral staircase was salvaged before the theatre was demolished.

When the team restoring Rose Chapel checked to see if it could make a suitable replacement for the chapel staircase, they discovered the staircase was designed by the same architect and made by the same iron works as the original chapel staircase.

“We couldn’t have hoped for a better replacement,’’ says Christchurch City Council Acting Garden and Heritage Manager Nicky Brown.

“Both staircases were taken to an engineering workshop where some of the wrought iron elements from the chapel staircase were used to fully restore the Regent Theatre staircase. That staircase has now been installed in the chapel and it is looking fantastic,’’ Ms Brown says.

Work on the Rose Chapel, which involves rebuilding the collapsed gable walls, strengthening the roof and foundations, and reconstructing and re-installing all its stained glass windows, is due to be completed in December.

The chapel dates back to 1910 and was the first of six church designs the Luttrell brothers, Alfred and Sydney, undertook as the unofficial Diocesan architects for the Roman Catholic Church. It was bought by Christchurch City Council in 1996 to ensure its retention.