The building was used as Civil Defence headquarters for Christchurch following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, and again after the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The gallery was designed to deal with seismic events but the foundations, (concrete raft slab that sits on the surface of the ground) sustained some damage in the 2011 earthquake. In spite of this, the gallery building was used as a Civil Defence headquarters for seven months after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and did not reopen until 19 December 2015 due to the need for extensive refurbishments and improvements.

This included the lofty ceiling in the foyer and ceilings in the gallery spaces. Phonic Absorb was used in bespoke configurations. Due to the height in the foyer, an elongated tile was used (2400x600) whereas in the gallery spaces, had a 1200x1200 black Phonic Absorb tile.

Phonic is a highly absorbent ceiling tile. Is a great solution for, theatres, churches and museums, due to its neutral aesthetic.