This imposing building was opened in 1935 as a specially designed memorial to the supreme sacrifice made by 71 former pupils of the Technical College who were killed in World War 1. The result of this decision by CERA is that the public has no opportunity to have its say on this important matter: yet again Christchurch citizens are being denied a say in the future of their heritage.

This is an unwelcome reversal of an earlier decision by CERA to decline the application by CPIT for an s38 demolition order: the original intent of CPIT’s application for an s38 – to avoid having to go through the public RMA process – has now been achieved.

It is a disgrace that the CPIT authorities would consider the desecration of the sacred status of its war memorial in the name of progress – particularly in the year of the Centenary of the outbreak of the First World War!

While it is laudable that CPIT is undertaking a major development of its campus at this time, it is lamentable that such insensitivity is being shown by it to the memory of those former pupils of this site who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.

The intended demolition of the Memorial Hall makes a complete mockery of the government’s public pronouncements of reverence for the acts of bravery of our predecessors.

We urge CERA to re-examine this decision and CPIT to explore ways in which the building can be integrated into the new design for this part of the campus.

• facebook  Christchurch Technical College Memorial Hall                                                                      
• Valuing Our Heritage display, Shop 7 Cathedral Junction, Christchurch (open daily 11am -2pm) further information and petition  

Ross Gray

Deputy Chair Historic Places Canterbury (HPC)

 Photograph by Ross Gray.

This landmark building in Christchurch’s central city is to be demolished. More than 235 listed heritage buildings have been demolished in Christchurch city and suburbs and in Lyttelton over the three years since the earthquake emergency. Heritage buildings are still being demolished by CERA: citizens still have no recourse to the RMA process in defence of a demolition such as this.

Sited on the corner of Manchester and Lichfield Streets, The Majestic is a key building with a rich history in cinema, performing arts and Christian worship. It is now one of the few surviving twentieth-century heritage buildings in the CBD. CERA compulsorily acquired the building, have issued a Section 38 full demolition notice, and have begun the early stages of demolition.

Earthquake damage is said to be moderate and repairable. Demolition is primarily for the land needed for the CERA-CCDU plan for the 9 metre widening of Manchester Street and as part of the eastern frame. There is strong support in arts, heritage and business communities for retention. The building would be ideal for future use in the east frame urban living zone and Innovation Precinct.

In December 2013 the Christchurch City Council vowed to help save the historic theatre and agreed the council should meet with CERA to emphasise the importance of retaining it. Historic Places Canterbury wanted the City Council to seek a moratorium on the demolition while a thorough engineering assessment was done.

Marches and rallies in protest at the demolition have been small but vociferous: many Christchurch people who would support retention of The Majestic are ‘exhausted’ living in post-earthquake Christchurch.

Save The Majestic spokespeople are calling for a halt to the demolition, consideration of Manchester Street widening alternatives and investigation of repair and strengthening costs. Possibilities of a legal challenge to the demolition are currently being explored (mid April.)

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-heritage-protesters-march-to-save-theatre/tabid/423/articleID/336630/Default.aspx#ixzz2x4Azejdh

Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheMajestic

Ross Gray

Historic Places Canterbury Deputy Chairman

St Joseph’s Church, Morrinsville, was regionally significant in terms of architecture and engineering technology. It was an iconic Waikato church, and the best example of a simplistic modernist church design in the Waikato. It was not registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust nor listed by the local council, but was included on the Morrinsville Heritage Trail. 

Due to ongoing issues with physical aspects of the building and the need to re-strengthen, the owners decided to demolish and build a new facility.

St Joseph’s demolition is a tragedy for Waikato heritage and New Zealand’s modernist heritage. This was the architectural cathedral of Waikato modernism.

Laura Kellaway

Architect and Heritage Consultant, Hamilton, 2014

Photograph by Warwick Kellaway

 Docomomo New Zealand urges the Hutt Council to reconsider its decision. The loss of the two halls would irreparably damage the Civic Centre group and remove its heart. It would mean the loss of the best of the Hutt’s Modern Movement architecture, imbued as it is with considerable social history. The city would lose the tourism opportunity to celebrate the best of its architecture of the 1950s.

 If we continue to demolish recent heritage, we will have no old heritage in the future.

 Ian Bowman

Architect and Conservator

The Tunnel Building, designed by Peter Beaven from 1962 and completed in 1964, was one of the country’s finest modern buildings, demonstrating Beaven’s interest in contemporary international architecture while at the same time creating a local metaphor – Canterbury’s ‘fifth ship’ – for the people of Christchurch and Lyttleton.

The Tunnel Building was registered as a Category I historic place. It was identified by DOCOMOMO New Zealand as one of the country’s 20 most important modern buildings. As such, it was published in The Modern Movement in Architecture: Selections from the DOCOMOMO Registers (Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 2000), which profiles the best modern buildings from 30 different countries. More recently, the building gained further international recognition through inclusion in 20th-Century World Architecture (London: Phaidon, 2012), an expansive volume that presents the world’s most significant buildings of the 20th century for an international readership.

When will the heritage recognition of our modern buildings start to mean something to the decision makers?

DOCOMOMO_NZ_membership_form

The Civic Building, designed by Council Architect Tibor Donner from 1954 and built 1964-66, has been identified by DOCOMOMO New Zealand as one of the country’s 20 most important modern buildings.

The Civic Building is a highly visible and well-known landmark. Its key features include a narrow footprint and a steel-framed construction which through 19 floors combine to give it unusually slender and thus elegant proportions. It is clad in glass, aluminium and pre-cast concrete, all carefully detailed to ensure interest and variety at the level of surface and texture.

Heritage does not stop in 1940. Key modern buildings also have heritage value. This needs greater recognition now, to ensure the survival of the best and most important of them in the future.

The New Zealand Government’s Christchurch Earthquake appeal: www.christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz/

New Zealand Historic Places Trust: http://www.historic.org.nz/en/AboutUs/GetInvolved/Donations.aspx

Architecture for Humanity’s fund for Christchurch: http://afh-auckland.org/nzeq-donate

The Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.nz/donate

The Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/giving-back/donate-online/disaster-appeals/canterbury-earthquake-appeal/