We are pleased to share the completion of The Court Theatre in Ōtautahi Christchurch, a project that marks the long-awaited return of New Zealand’s largest professional theatre company to the city centre. Designed in close collaboration with Athfield Architects, Charcoalblue, The Court Theatre and Christchurch City Council - the new building represents an international partnership built on shared values of creativity, sustainability, and community.
Following the devastating 2011 earthquake, the project offered an opportunity to help re-establish a vital part of Christchurch’s cultural life. Together, we have created a purpose-built producing theatre where performance, rehearsal, and production spaces are integrated to support every stage of the creative process. The design combines mass timber, steel, and concrete to achieve a balance of resilience, warmth, and environmental responsibility, while open, interconnected spaces allow audiences to experience the energy of theatre-making firsthand.
The return of The Court Theatre marks a new chapter in Christchurch’s cultural and civic renewal, creating a place designed to nurture creativity and support the city’s vibrant artistic future.
Planning permission has been secured for the first phase of the transformation of St Botolph's Quarter in central Colchester, marking an important milestone in the city's long-term regeneration.
Pembroke Mill Lane for Pembroke College, Cambridge, has been shortlisted for the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize, the UK's most prestigious award for architecture.
Wonderful to see the new performance spaces at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) alive with performance, rehearsal and teaching.
Pembroke Mill Lane, Cambridge has received a RIBA National Award.
Haworth Tompkins has been shortlisted in two categories at this year's Building Design Architect of the Year Awards.
We are so pleased to see The Court Theatre continue to receive industry recognition, with multiple honours at Friday night's Property Council New Zealand Industry Awards, including the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Judges' Choice Award.
In the second of three NLA articles, Tom Gibson, Associate Director at Haworth Tompkins, reflects on the practice’s international mass timber projects and the lessons they offer for timber construction in the UK.
Last week, Haworth Tompkins received the Dewi-Prys Thomas Award for our work on Theatr Clwyd in Mold, North Wales. The award celebrates the role of design in improving quality of life and supporting regeneration across Wales.
| 25.03.26 | Mass Timber Design Innovations: from fire strategy to carbon reduction, the challenges and opportunities of designing with timber. → |
| 30.10.25 | Construction Reaches Topping Off Milestone for the New Home of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University → |
| 28.07.25 | Haworth Tompkins reveals plans for the redevelopment of Grade I listed De La Warr Pavilion → |
| 13.05.25 | Haworth Tompkins to lead design of affordable housing in £2.5 Billion York Central Regeneration → |