Custom hoardings exceed compliance and benefit the development and public by showcasing your project and construction partners, while also engaging the public in your project and its role in the city’s future.

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Apply for a creative hoarding

Custom hoardings design principles

Work with a design partner and apply the following design principles for an integrated custom hoardings design.

You may also be eligible for a waiver of fees for temporary use of legal road (TUOLR) if you use a qualifying creative hoarding. 

Touch base with us at creativehoardings@ccc.govt.nz before you begin so we can provide advice and feedback on your custom creative hoarding. 

1. Creative, playful and engaging

The key to successful creative hoardings is developing a design unique to that project. This is an opportunity to set the tone of the project, reflect values central to the build and integrate branding at an appropriate scale.

Integrating corporate logos and branding into the artwork can give a more effective result than excessively large or frequent logo placement. Taking a creative approach overall can be highly memorable and attract positive attention.

Branding and logos alone does not meet the creative hoardings guidelines.

2. Visually define the site

A hoarding should clearly define where a project begins and ends. Use visual devices such as patterns, contrasting skirting or trim. Signal the scale of the project and ensure a midblock site stands out.

Projects creating laneways, driveways or a main entranceway can hint at future flows of people and traffic between the project and street.

3. Include large scale images

Creative custom hoardings use large scale project-related images that showcase the project and soften hoarding impact.

If possible include people in the image at an appropriate scale so people can visualise their future relationship with the project.

4. Showcase your team

Christchurch is being rebuilt by teams working hard together. Designating an area for collating corporate logos shows a team approach. It is critical to avoid negative impacts from clutter or excessively large signage.

Successfully integrate your branding by neatly clustering images and logos of similar scale at hoardings ends or other points of activity (i.e. gates requiring safety info, locations for public interaction). This is more attractive and memorable than excessively large or repeated logos.

5. Provide public viewing

(As appropriate.)

People are naturally curious. If appropriate let the public observe your construction progress with viewing windows.

Choose safe locations where viewers are protected from traffic and from potential solid debris in accordance with Building Code clause F5.

6. Consider the history, present, and future of the site

(As appropriate.)

Build engagement with the project by making links to the past with images or information.

Talk about the present by drawing attention to progress or connect to the future through details about the project, including large scale images.

7. Include wayfinding

(As appropriate.)

Recognise that the widespread loss of landmarks and links makes it challenging for people to get their bearings. Wayfinding consists of tools which help people navigate. Show street names close to intersection corners.

Use font size visible from across the intersection. Maps can be creative, playful, or integrated into the artwork.

Artwork application rules

Council reviews installed creative construction hoardings regularly to ensure they continue to meet appearance, maintenance and installation requirements. 

Planning ahead

Planning your artwork:

  • If a custom artwork is to be used it must have strong creative content and it is recommended the artist or designer is identified and acknowledged.
  • Your plan for how the artwork is integrated into the overall hoarding line will need to be assessed by Council staff. We may ask for amendments to better fit the design principles and to ensure a majority of the hoarding line is covered by artwork.
  • The Temporary Use of Legal Road (TUOLR) waiver is applied only to hoardings, doors, gates, containers and gantries that are covered by artwork where they form part of the hoarding line.
  • The full surface area of construction hoardings, gates more than 8 metres wide and the interior of a pedestrian gantry must be covered by artwork. Trimming boards may be painted flat black or other desired complementary colour.
  • Artwork is optional on doors and gates that are less than 8 metres wide and on containers that form part of the hoarding line. TUOLR fees will be charged for these gates and containers that are not covered by artwork.
  • Corporate branding is not appropriate for covering access doors or gates.
  • Include hazards and health and safety signage near entrances. Signage should not cover creative hoarding artwork.

Create hoarding guidelines illustration

View full image [PDF, 3.3 MB]

Artwork licence

If you are using a pre-design hoarding, the artwork is the intellectual property of Christchurch City Council. It is included in the Creative Hoardings toolkit under a licence agreement with Ariki Creative and McCarthy creative agencies.

The artwork may only be used for the purpose it is provided for – to be printed and attached to an approved construction hoarding. Any other unauthorised use of the artwork is an infringement of copyright.

If you would like to use the artwork for another purpose, please contact Christchurch City Council: creativehoardings@ccc.govt.nz

Printing and installation

The installation of artwork design to construction hoardings must consider long term durability, appearance and maintenance requirements.

Hoarding artwork can be printed on recycled or recyclable materials. 

Recommended:

  • PVC banner fabric
  • ACM board
  • vinyl wrap or similar
  • UV-stabilised ink.

Not recommended:

  • Corflute, due to its durability and longevity being low.

Graffiti

All reasonable efforts should be taken to remove graffiti from hoarding artwork within 48 hours. Should it be impossible to remove graffiti through low-cost, manual efforts, you may be required to reprint and replace the affected artwork. If the graffiti is offensive, Council may paint over it within 4 hours.

Connect to artists

Council arts advisers are interested in the opportunity hoardings can provide for artists.

Connect with an artist:

The Enliven Places Projects Fund encourages the use of vacant space in ways that deliver community benefits.

Artist design fees for custom hoardings and pop-up galleries are examples of projects it can support.

If a high level of private-community partnership is involved, grants can support up to half the project value.

Christchurch examples

The old post office custom creative hoarding

Hospital custom creative hoarding