Story: City history and people

New Regent Street streetscape

The streetscapes of New Zealand cities and towns were characterised by a hotchpotch of different building styles and heights. This reflected a cultural trait of individualism; building owners wanted their properties to stand out from neighbours. There were a few exceptions. In the early 1930s a new street connecting Christchurch’s Armagh and Gloucester streets was constructed. It comprised two-storey, semi-detached buildings constructed in a common Spanish Mission architectural style, and was called New Regent Street, after the famous London thoroughfare. This is the architect’s drawing of the street.

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Christchurch City Council, Heritage Unit
Reference: CCCPlans New-Regent-28-8

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How to cite this page:

David Thorns and Ben Schrader, 'City history and people - The shape of cities', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/23514/new-regent-street-streetscape (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by David Thorns and Ben Schrader, published 11 Mar 2010