Peter Beaven

Peter Beaven
Peter Beaven in 2008
Born	(1925-08-13)13 August 1925 Christchurch
Died	4 June 2012(2012-06-04) (aged 86) Blenheim
Nationality	New Zealand
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Occupation	Architect
Awards	NZIA Gold Medal 2003
Buildings	Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building Chateau on the Park

Peter Jamieson Beaven (13 August 1925 – 4 June 2012) was a New Zealand architect based in Christchurch, who lived for his last few months in Blenheim. He was a co-founder of New Zealand's first heritage lobby group, the Civic Trust.

Beaven was born in Christchurch, the son of Eric Tamate Beaven and Joan Maria Scott Jamieson. His mother was the daughter of William Graham Jamieson and May Jamieson (née Whitehouse). William Jamieson and his brother James Jamieson were renowned builders for the early Christchurch area, who constructed buildings like the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Otahuna, Strowan House and the original office of The Press in Cashel Street. The construction business was established in 1864 by his great-grandfather, Samuel Jamieson, who arrived from Scotland at Lyttelton on board the Captain Cook on 5 September 1863.

Beaven was educated at Christ's College and the School of Architecture of the University of Auckland. A conversation with the architect Paul Pascoe during his secondary school time led to the choice of his professional career. His tertiary education was interrupted by war service with the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Beaven was based in Timaru for four years after his graduation, mainly designing woolstores all over New Zealand. He then moved to Christchurch, where he established his practice in the mid-1950s. Early in his career, he explored the world and lived in Japan for six months in the early 1950s, and undertook major tours to Europe and Asia in the early 1960s, all of which influenced his architectural style.

His outlook soon became focussed on his local Christchurch, and he was inspired by Victorian Gothic Revival and worked a lot with symbolism. The Lyttelton Road Tunnel Administration Building uses the latter approach, with the brief asking for a grand entrance to the Canterbury Plains. With reference to the First Four Ships, Beaven designed the building as the fifth ship moored next to the motorway at the tunnel entrance. The building, in the form of the tub of a ship, is based on exposed pile foundations, with low planting representing the sea around the ship. The Modern Movement architecture employed here has form following function and was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage building on 14 May 2008. It was honoured as an example of Beaven's contribution to New Zealand architecture. The toll booths were removed in 1979 when the tunnel toll was removed, and the canopy once over the toll booths was demolished after receiving damage from rock fall caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.