# Christ's College Chapel

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**Christ's College Chapel** is part of [Christ's College, Christchurch](/source/Christ's_College,_Christchurch).

## Description

The chapel was designed by [Robert Speechly](/source/Robert_Speechly) and was built in 1867. Its simple style was in harmony with [Christ's College Big School](/source/Christ's_College_Big_School), which is four years older. The chapel was extended in 1884 to a design by [Benjamin Mountfort](/source/Benjamin_Mountfort), who added transepts and a chancel; an earlier design by [William Armson](/source/William_Armson) was rejected. In 1888, a Mountfort-designed organ chamber was added.[1]

The chapel more than doubled in size in 1955 based on a design by [Paul Pascoe](/source/Paul_Pascoe), who did not interfere with the Gothic Revival appearance of the school's quadrangle.[1]

A two-light window designed by English artist [John Piper](/source/John_Piper_(artist)) and manufactured by [Patrick Reyntiens](/source/Patrick_Reyntiens) commemorates Ernest Courtenay Crosse, former Chaplain and Headmaster of Christ's College, donated by his widow Mrs Joyce Cross. It was installed in 1968. Piper's only work in New Zealand, it depicts the Tree of Life in the left light and the River of Life on the right, both shown in semi-abstract forms of red and light blue set against a turquoise and purple background. Damaged in the [2010 Canterbury earthquake](/source/2010_Canterbury_earthquake), the window was repaired and reinstalled in 2018.[2]

The chapel was used for the funeral service for Christchurch architect [Peter Beaven](/source/Peter_Beaven) in June 2012.[3]

The chapel was registered as a heritage building by the [New Zealand Historic Places Trust](/source/New_Zealand_Historic_Places_Trust) on 27 June 1985 with registration number 3277 classified as A. With the change of the classification system, the building later became a Category I listing.[1][4]

## See also

- [List of oldest buildings in Christchurch](/source/List_of_oldest_buildings_in_Christchurch)
- [List of historic places in Christchurch](/source/List_of_historic_places_in_Christchurch)

## References

1. ["Piper windows back in chapel"](https://christscollege.com/college-life/archived-news/piper-windows-back-in-chapel). *Christ’s College, Canterbury*. Retrieved 18 January 2025.

1. Sachdeva, Sam (11 June 2012). ["Hundreds gather for Beaven's funeral"](http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/7080237/Hundreds-gather-for-Beavens-funeral). *[The Press](/source/The_Press)*. Retrieved 20 June 2012.

1. Cattell, John (1988). *Historic Buildings of Canterbury and South Canterbury*. Wellington: Government Printing Office Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 0-477-01329-5.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Christ's College Chapel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ's_College_Chapel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ's_College_Chapel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.