35-612: The Crowne Plaza Christchurch , formerly known as the Forsyth Barr Building , is located on the south-east corner of the Armagh and Colombo Streets intersection in Christchurch , New Zealand. Originally owned by Bob Jones and branded Robert Jones House by him, it was commonly referred to as Bob Jones Tower , but some called it Bob's Folly . In the 2011 Christchurch earthquake , its staircases collapsed, trapping
70-762: A flyover then passes beneath the Moorhouse Avenue flyover, entering the Christchurch Central City . It passes the Bus Interchange (until 2011 the Bus Exchange ), the city's central bus depot and crosses the major pedestrian mall, City Mall (Cashel Street) before being interrupted by Cathedral Square , the heart of Christchurch. In the square it crosses the loop of the Christchurch tramway circuit, crossing it again two blocks north at Armagh Street. From Armagh Street it skirts
105-519: A legal width of 1.5 chains (99 ft; 30 m), and the cathedral to be placed west of this thoroughfare. Christianity has adopted the practice of praying towards the East as the Orient was thought of as containing the mankind's original home. Hence, most Christian churches are oriented towards the east, and to comply with this convention, Henry Harper , Christchurch's first Bishop , lobbied to have
140-548: A public service department to a departmental agency within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). John Ombler , CERA's establishment CEO was appointed on 19 November 2014 effective on 1 December to be Acting CEO until a permanent Chief Executive is named. CERA received criticism for paying panel members $ 1000 per day, approximately 10 times the national average. CERA's powers were challenged in
175-522: Is 1075. Until the reinstatement of Barnes dance crossings in Dunedin in the 2010s, the only remaining Barnes Dance intersections in the South Island were on Colombo Street, at the intersections with Armagh, Gloucester , and Hereford Streets. The Colombo / Hereford intersection has the highest pedestrian count. A further Barnes dance is under consideration for Lichfield Street in conjunction with
210-535: Is one of the enduring images of that earthquake. Search of the building was technically difficult for urban search and rescue (USAR) teams, requiring the deconstruction of 4-tonne stair sets, but the building was cleared with no victims discovered. The Hotel Grand Chancellor and PricewaterhouseCoopers were both demolished subsequent to the earthquake, hence the Forsyth Barr Building is once more Christchurch's second tallest building. Until mid-2013, it
245-605: The 1984 election to oppose Robert Muldoon , but the effect of this was that the conservative vote was split, and the Labour Party won the election, and David Lange formed the Fourth Labour Government . The building was commonly referred to as Bob Jones Tower , but some called it Bob's Folly in relation to his 1984 election interference. The building was later sold and named for New Zealand investment banking firm Forsyth Barr. Built with 17 storeys,
280-476: The 2011 Christchurch earthquake , the staircases in Forsyth Barr House collapsed, trapping the occupants. One of the trapped occupants, a trained mountain guide with experience in mountain rescue, had windows broken and abseiled people onto an adjacent car parking building. The photo of one of the occupants being abseiled along the glass façade, taken by The Press photographer John Kirk-Anderson,
315-656: The Cathedral Square article . Much of Colombo Street through Sydenham was damaged by the 2010 Canterbury earthquake . For several months, the road was only partially open. Further earthquake damage was caused by the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake . Many of the remaining historic buildings in Sydenham have subsequently been demolished. Buildings between St Asaph Street and Hereford Street suffered major damage, with many having since been removed. Two buses in
350-535: The High Court after it ordered the demolition of Wharetiki House at 854 Colombo Street . The owner of the house wanted to restore it after it had suffered damage in the February 2011 earthquake. Justice Whata dismissed the challenge on 20 June 2011, and the building was demolished the following day. In October 2011, CERA hoped to have all of the Christchurch Central City open again in April 2012. In April 2012
385-701: The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and the Ministry of Health in December 2015, and the DPMC on 1 March 2016. Within the DPMC, the Greater Christchurch Group is responsible for part of the functions that CERA used to carry out. In April 2016, other functions went to newly established organisations: the Crown company Otakaro Ltd (responsible for delivering anchor projects) and
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#1732772612910420-724: The University of Melbourne , asks: "Does anyone love the monolithic Forsyth Barr building on Colombo Street...?" In 2008, the Forsyth Barr Building was one of three A-grade office buildings in central Christchurch; the others were the PricewaterhouseCoopers Building, and the Clarendon Tower . After the September 11 attacks in 2001, emergency supplies for an evacuation of this high-rise were installed, including ropes, sledge hammers, and axes. In
455-574: The Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) was established as a unit within CERA to focus on rebuilding the central business district of Christchurch. A public consultation on the organisation's transport plan closed on 1 February 2013. As of October 2013, Cabinet had not signed off on the plan. At its peak, the organisation employed 357 staff. Its functions were taken over by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ),
490-462: The alignment of Colombo Street through Cathedral Square was changed again by introducing a curve towards the west; the western side of the legal road had a radius of 3 chains 75 links (75 m). The purpose of this change was to allow the placement of the cathedral slightly further west, making its tower visible along Colombo Street from a distance. Until 1965, Colombo Street did not stop at Cathedral Square but continued across it, running across
525-564: The centre of Christchurch with a break at Cathedral Square . As with many other central Christchurch streets, it is named for a colonial Anglican bishopric, Colombo , Sri Lanka in what at the time was known as Ceylon . Parts of the street which run through Sydenham were known as Addison Street during the 1880s, and some parts were known as Colombo Road . Colombo Street runs for 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi) due north-south. As with most Christchurch north-south streets, its numbering starts at its southern end. Like most of central Christchurch,
560-766: The college in Cathedral Square was found to be insufficient, and Henry Sewell suggested in June 1853 to move the college to land reserved for the Christchurch Botanic Gardens . This transaction was formalised through The Cathedral Square Ordinance 1858 , a law passed by the Canterbury Provincial Council in October 1858. The ordinance allowed for Colombo Street to go straight through the middle of Cathedral Square at
595-417: The council-Crown agency Regenerate Christchurch (responsible for developing regeneration plans for Christchurch, including the residential red zone ). When CERA was disbanded, it still had 170 staff. A report released by the auditor-general in February 2017 was critical of CERA's performance, citing tensions with Christchurch City Council as one of the reasons for delays with implementing projects. CERA
630-411: The eastern side of Cathedral Square to be used for the pro-cathedral. That way, the main entrance would face Colombo Street, resulting in praying towards the east in line with convention. The Cathedral Square Amendment Ordinance 1859 , which was passed a year after the previous ordinance, formalised the change in placement of the cathedral. Just before work on the cathedral's foundations began in 1864,
665-671: The edge of Victoria Square and crosses the Avon River / Ōtākaro before passing the James Hay Theatre , part of the Christchurch Town Hall . Colombo Street passes St Mary's Primary School and the former Christchurch Women's Hospital complex (now demolished) before crossing Bealey Avenue and entering the residential suburb of St Albans . The street terminates at Edgeware Road, 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) north of Cathedral Square. The highest street number
700-746: The foot of the cathedral . Several pedestrianisation schemes over the latter part of the century extended the traffic-free area of the central city, and the street was finally stopped from entering the square itself. Recent controversial plans have suggested restoring traffic-flow along the part of Colombo Street which was blocked off in 1965. Colombo Street contains or contained eleven structures that are registered as Category II historic places by Heritage New Zealand : Three further Category II structures are located in Victoria Square: Proceeding through Cathedral Square, there are several Category I and II heritage structures, as outlined in
735-525: The land from its owners if it wanted to go ahead with the Performing Arts Precinct. The designation was later lifted and the size of the Performing Arts Precinct designation reduced after Christchurch City Council had decided to restore the existing Christchurch Town Hall instead of building a new one within this precinct. The earthquake-damaged building was sold in an "as is, where is" state for NZ$ 8 million. In December 2014, it
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#1732772612910770-533: The occupants. The building reopened in July 2017 as the city's Crowne Plaza hotel. The original building on the location was the Golden Fleece Hotel, built in 1851. The 1980s high-rise was a property speculation by Paynter Developments, who engaged Christchurch architecture firm Warren and Mahoney for the architectural design, and Holmes Consulting Group as structural engineers. Fletcher Construction
805-479: The purpose of earthquake recovery. The department operated for five years, with annual reviews. CERA was disestablished on 18 April 2016. Roger Sutton commenced as CERA's CEO on 13 June 2011. He had previously been CEO of Orion New Zealand , the electricity distribution company for the Christchurch area. Sutton resigned as CEO on 17 November 2014 effective on 31 January 2015 when CERA was downgraded from
840-410: The rebuild of Christchurch and the surrounding areas following the 22 February 2011 earthquake . After it was disestablished on 18 April 2016, CERA's functions were taken over by a variety of other agencies. CERA was formed in response to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, and its establishment was announced late March 2011. It had wide-ranging powers and could suspend laws and regulations for
875-475: The relocated central city bus exchange. Colombo Street was one of the city's original streets, being laid out at the time of the settlement of Canterbury Province in 1850 by surveyors Joseph Thomas and Edward Jollie . The first traffic lights in the South Island were installed at the intersection of Cashel and Colombo Streets. The traffic lights, which were first tested on the evening of 5 November 1930, replaced officers on point duty . The street
910-497: The residential suburb of Beckenham . The suburb of Sydenham starts once Tennyson Street is crossed. Between Tennyson Street and Strickland Street is a suburban shopping centre. Colombo Street crosses the Christchurch ring route ( SH 76 , at that point called Brougham Street) and enters the commercial/industrial part of Sydenham. North of Sydenham, Colombo Street crosses the Christchurch-Lyttelton railway line via
945-475: The section south of Tuam Street were crushed by falling façades. In total, 19 people were killed in Colombo Street in the February 2011 earthquake; all but one died in the central city: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority ( CERA ; Māori : Te Mana Haumanu ki Waitaha ) was the public service department of New Zealand charged with coordinating
980-471: The street is flat. It starts 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the city centre at a roundabout junction with Dyers Pass Rd, which descends from the Port Hills and Cashmere and Centaurus Roads, which run along the foot of the hills. For its first few hundred metres the street runs north-northeast through the suburb of Somerfield , before turning due north and crossing the Ōpāwaho / Heathcote River in
1015-424: The structure of buildings, but chose a glass curtain wall design with aluminium panels that hid the structure. This construction system became the norm for office buildings for the next two decades based on construction techniques pioneered in Christchurch. According to historian Geoffrey Rice , many architects regard this building as Warren and Mahoney's "ugly duckling", and Paul Walker, professor of architecture at
1050-628: The structure was at the time Christchurch's second tallest building at 70 metres (230 ft), after the 1986 Hotel Grand Chancellor at 85 metres (279 ft). Two further high rises overtook the Forsyth Barr House over time, first the PricewaterhouseCoopers building in 1990 at 76.3 metres (250 ft), and then the Pacific Tower in 2010 at 86 metres (282 ft). It was an unusual design for Warren and Mahoney, who had until then worked with exposed concrete beams that showed
1085-495: Was praised for the effective production of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan , but then was "less successful" with the implementation of the various projects that the plan had identified. The minister who had been responsible for CERA, Gerry Brownlee , dismissed the report as "unbalanced", while the mayor of Christchurch, Lianne Dalziel , stated that she "always believed the recovery should be
Forsyth Barr Building - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-502: Was revealed that the building will be leased to the Crowne Plaza chain for a hotel, replacing the former Crowne Plaza hotel that stood diagonally opposite across Victoria Square prior to the earthquakes. In late 2015, new staircases were installed. The new hotel opened on 1 July 2017, offering 204 rooms. Colombo Street Colombo Street is a main road of the city of Christchurch , New Zealand. It runs south-north through
1155-497: Was the contractor for the project. The building was finished in mid-1989 and sold to Robert Jones Investments (Canterbury), a company owned by Bob Jones . Jones, a property developer who had survived the 1987 stock market crash , named the building Robert Jones House and put the initials "RJI" of his investment company on the building. Jones had a high public profile, as he had set up the New Zealand Party just prior to
1190-756: Was the site of one of the worst disasters in New Zealand history, with a major fire that swept through the Ballantyne's Department Store in November 1947 killing 41 people. The disaster remains the country's most deadly fire. In the original survey of central Christchurch (known as the Black Map ), which was undertaken in 1850, it was envisaged for Christ's College and ChristChurch Cathedral to be built adjacent to one another in Cathedral Square , modelled on Christ Church, Oxford . The area set aside for
1225-625: Was unclear whether the Forsyth Barr Building would also be demolished, or whether it was economic to repair it. Subsequent to the earthquakes, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) developed a Christchurch Central Recovery Plan . Almost two city blocks were designated for the Performing Arts Precinct , including the land that the Forsyth Barr Building was located on. This meant that The Crown could have compulsorily acquired
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