The Rocks

Perched hard against the cliff in Sumner's Scarborough Hill, The Rocks has become an iconic Christchurch home for the way it suspends itself over the Pacific Ocean, and its striking form visible from the land. The Rocks exemplifies building as an art form.

Its masculine sculptural form is designed to be viewed as a piece of art for the community around it. It is a landmark — a distinctive geographical marker — that makes people around the community feel a sense of place and orientation when they see it.

The building itself is designed as a bridge spanning two splayed buttresses, forming a transparent courtyard behind. All spaces, internally and externally, are located to maximise sea views.

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