Ravenscar House Museum — Attraction in Christchurch

This is a truly remarkable collection. Before I visited I had no idea what a treasure trove I was going to see - the art collection spans most of the big names in New Zealand art with numerous very fine and valuable works on display. The glassware and sculpture exhibits were exquisite also. The standout for me was the bedroom furniture suite - the design concept has a simple linearity but the execution is extraordinary. A great surprise was the small but significant collection of antiquities in the library. The only quibble I could make is that many of the paintings weren't shown to best effect as there was no accent lighting, but Ravenscar is a recreation of a private home as well as a gallery, so I suspect that is the reason for this. The building has a beautiful serenity about it. I would...

5 stars if you’re an architect or into architecture. For everyone else, this would most likely be a 3 star as it’s a paid entry and your visit would take 15-30min.

I would call this less of a museum and more of a house. The form and details of this house is stunning. From the heavy sloped roof to the underground air delivery, Patterson did an excellent job incorporating the ideas of the original house into this contemporary one (figuratively and literally). The aggregates of the exterior concrete holds a story on their own. Overall it’s a simple looking piece of architecture; and all architects know, the simpler something looks, the more...

4 mostly boring rooms for $25 per adult!! The price was criminal. This was interesting for about 4 -7 minutes total. Some of the antiquities and the library door from the 1600's were especially intriguing. but essentially you are paying top dollar to view some paintings in 4 small rooms, see about 3-4 garden sculptures and then that's it? The furniture is awkwardly used to represent the original house. I was embarrassed for everyone who had paid to get in, all trying to make it worth the expense by going around twice to try to fill 15 minutes. Don't waste your...