The building was used as Civil Defence headquarters for Christchurch following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake , and again after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake . The gallery was designed to deal with seismic events . The gallery 's foundation , a concrete raft slab that sits on the surface of the ground , evenly distributes earthquake forces . However , it sustained some damage in the 2011 earthquake . The gallery building was used as a Civil Defence headquarters for seven months after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake , and did not reopen until 19 December 2015 due to the need for extensive refurbishments and improvements
2010 Canterbury earthquake
2010 Canterbury earthquake
Christchurch Art Gallery