What it is
The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery opened on 22 February 1970 in the converted Regent cinema, funded by a bequest from Monica Brewster, and became known as one of the country's leading contemporary art museums. An extension in 1998 added space for the collection of the Len Lye Foundation.
Len Lye, born in Christchurch in 1901, was a kinetic sculptor and experimental filmmaker who worked in London and New York. The Len Lye Centre, designed by Andrew Patterson of Pattersons Associates and opened on 25 July 2015, houses the foundation's archive and studio collection and shows his moving sculptures and films. Its tall, rippling facade of polished stainless steel has become a city landmark.
Getting there by bus
Routes 3, 4 and 5 stop at Powderham Street (near 94) (stop 1448), about 150 metres away, and route 2 (Whalers Gate) at Dawson Street (near Bowlarama) (stop 9095), also about 150 metres away.
The central bus stops on Ariki and Egmont Streets are about 190 to 260 metres away, a three-minute walk: Bay A - Ariki Street (stop 1157) for routes 5, 6 and 98, Bay E (stop 1158) for routes 7 and 8, and Bay F - Egmont Street (stop 1162) for regional routes 101, 101S and 106.
