Dux de Lux

The Dux de Lux is located in a stand-alone building, on the corner of Hereford and Montreal Streets in the central city. It is these days part of the Arts Centre that occupies that whole block and is thus located in the cultural precinct. ==History==

The merchant John Lewis commissioned the building with Francis Petre as his private residence, and it was constructed in 1883, in a Tudor Revival style similar to Pinner House in Dunedin, another Petre design. Lewis gave it the Welsh name of Llanmaes, which means 'the church in the meadow'. The house changed ownership to Dr Colin Graham Campbell in 1899, who onsold it to Dr Charles Chilton in 1904. Chilton was a zoologist, the first rector to be appointed in Australasia, and the first person to be awarded a D.Sc. degree in New Zealand. He lived in the building until 1911 and sold it to Eliza Vincent. When Vincent died, the building was purchased by the university in 1926. For the next three years, the building was used as the rector's residence. Canterbury College, from which the University of Canterbury developed, was first established in 1872. Either in 1875–1876 It was then converted into a bar, music venue, and restaurant. The Dux de Lux, which is Latin for Masters of the Finest, opened in late 1978. New Zealand band Salmonella Dub will release the single Same Home Town in 2013 in honour of their 20th birthday. The single is dedicated to the Dux de Lux as their early Christchurch venue. 2011 earthquake As a result of the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the Dux de Lux closed due to structural damage. The wider Arts Centre was forced to close all its buildings due to severe damage, meaning the famous vegetarian and seafood establishment, alongside other tenants, was evicted. In late 2011 the music venue Dux Live! opened in Addington. Then 2012 saw the opening of Dux Dine in the neighbouring suburb Riccarton. The Dux Brewing Company continues to manufacture and supply craft beer, such as the Ginger Tom. ==Architecture==

The building's English Cottage style is Tudor influenced. There are several interconnected wings. At the west end, there is a 2-storey Brew Bar with offices above. At the north end, there is a single-storey Tavern Bar. In the northeast corner, there is a 2-storey plus part single storey wing, which includes a restaurant and Function Room. In the southeast corner, a 2-storey section contains stairs, amenities, and an office. Its construction includes slate tile roof cladding, timber rafters, and a timber framed flat roof. Both the first floor and ground floor are timber framed. The exterior load bearing walls, as well as some of the interior walls, are of double brick. The interior finishing is of lath and plaster. A brick chimney is situated in the west wall, while the north wall has a bay window. Other notable features are the stained glass windows, three large panels and three small panels, and brick arches at the north and south entries. In 1929, it had rimu panelling and wallpaper in 'quiet shades'. ==Heritage registration==

The Dux de Lux was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category II heritage building on 26 November 1981 with registration number 4907. It is an example of Francis Petre's domestic work, who is better known for the design of basilicas, including the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch. The building is significant, as it housed the student union of the University of Canterbury for four decades; it is thus considered part of the social fabric of the university by many alumni. Many consider the building to be the heart of the former university. ==See also==