Ballantynes redevelopment

We completed a major redevelopment project for Christchurch department store Ballantynes in the middle of 2020, adding a five level, 2,600m² building to replace space they lost in the Canterbury earthquakes.

The project started with a major demolition job of the back part of the store and the old basement, then we began building the new basement. This was a challenging and technical process, with a high water table, ground contamination, archaeological finds and unexpected soft spots to contend with, and the foundations of four neighbouring buildings to support and remediate.

Things proceeded quickly once we were out of the ground, with the largely steel and concrete superstructure and high-quality fitout completed in record time to allow the first part of the retail space to open in October 2019. The European-style interior features large-format porcelain tiles and expansive marble surfaces with gold detailing.

With the majority of the retail space and the large ground floor café open for business, we proceeded with the rest of the predominantly back-of-house works, including the corporate fit-out, installing GRC panelling on the exterior, and tying the new and existing store and car parking together.

The finished building features a delivery dock, stock processing space and staff amenities in the basement, two floors of premium retail space, one floor of offices, meeting rooms and covered car parking, and open-air car parking on the roof.