Odeon Theatre, Historic theatre in central Christchurch, New Zealand

The Odeon Theatre in central Christchurch displays Italian-style architecture featuring decorative details, rounded arches, and generous interior spaces. The building included shops at street level, while the auditorium provided seating across multiple levels for audiences.

The building was originally constructed in 1883 as Tuam Street Hall and initially served as a public gathering space. It later underwent changes that transformed it into a cultural venue with growing theatrical programs.

The theatre served as a gathering place where important civic movements held meetings and public discussions. People came together here to debate issues that shaped the city and region.

The Odeon stood at 214 Tuam Street, between the central city and Sydenham. After the 2011 earthquake, shipping containers were stacked in Tuam Street to protect the remaining facade, taking up a traffic lane. The auditorium, seating and fly tower were demolished, but the facade and upper and lower foyers were kept.

During the years when the Sydenham Assembly of God owned the building, a large illuminated yellow cross hung on the theatre's frontage. The bracket that held it was still visible in photographs taken after 2008, and developer David Henderson later reused the cross in his SOL Square development, naming a bar the Yellow Cross.