The Press Building, Christchurch
Encyclopedia
The Press Building located in Cathedral Square
in Christchurch
was the home of The Press
between 1909 and February 2011. The building in perpendicular Gothic is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 302. The building suffered significant damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, with one staff member killed in the collapsed top floor. The building was demolished in July and August 2011.
in order to oppose the politics of his political rival William Sefton Moorhouse
. From humble beginnings in a Montreal Street cottage, the newspaper was next located in Cashel Street. George Gatonby Stead bought the newspaper in 1890, and in 1905 purchased a site in Cathedral Square for a new building in a location that he thought would become the town centre. The firm of Armson, Collins and Harman
was engaged to design the building, and John Goddard Collins designed a four storey building in perpendicular Gothic style.
The building was constructed using reinforced concrete
, one of the first in Christchurch to utilise this technique, to support the weight of the printing presses. He allowed for a distinctive tower in the south-west corner. The first edition of The Press produced in the building was published on 2 February 1909. From 1886 to the 1920s, the newspaper used pigeon post
for message transfer, and the pigeon house remains on the roof of the building.
The building was sold in 2008 to the Australian company Ganellen. The redevelopment plan was to build a new head office for The Press on an adjacent site in Gloucester Street, and the historic Press Building was to be refurbished as "an A-grade commercial building".
The building was damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
, and the company vacated the building on 8 September 2010. The building was certified for use again. It suffered significant damage in the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake with the top floor collapsing; one employee died, several people were seriously injured and many staff were trapped in the rubble. The earthquake hit two weeks before staff were due to move into the adjacent new office building. The building was demolished in July 2011. All that was remaining by 25 July 2011 was the main entrance door with the newspaper's motto above it ("Nihil utile quod non honestum", which translates to "Nothing is useful that is not honest") and the company's crest above it. Contractors are trying to remove the crest in one piece.
in contemporary Chicago school architectural style
is located in the same quadrant of Cathedral Square, and the two facades represent the two different newspaper styles, with The Press being regarded as the more conservative newspaper. The building is a notable example of the firm of Armson, Collins and Harman. The use of reinforced concrete is one of the earliest examples in Christchurch.
Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...
in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
was the home of The Press
The Press
The Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is owned by Fairfax Media.- History :The Press was first published on 25 May 1861 from a small cottage in Montreal Street, making it the oldest surviving newspaper in the South Island of New Zealand. The first...
between 1909 and February 2011. The building in perpendicular Gothic is registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
as a Category I heritage item, with the registration number 302. The building suffered significant damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, with one staff member killed in the collapsed top floor. The building was demolished in July and August 2011.
History
The Press was founded in 1861 by James FitzGeraldJames FitzGerald
James Edward FitzGerald was a New Zealand politician. According to some historians, he should be considered the country's first Prime Minister, although a more conventional view is that neither he nor his successor should properly be given that title. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand...
in order to oppose the politics of his political rival William Sefton Moorhouse
William Sefton Moorhouse
William Sefton Moorhouse was a New Zealand politician. He was the second Superintendent of Canterbury Province.-Early life:...
. From humble beginnings in a Montreal Street cottage, the newspaper was next located in Cashel Street. George Gatonby Stead bought the newspaper in 1890, and in 1905 purchased a site in Cathedral Square for a new building in a location that he thought would become the town centre. The firm of Armson, Collins and Harman
Armson, Collins and Harman
Armson, Collins and Harman was an architectural firm in New Zealand. It was founded by William Barnett Armson , and after his death, became the practice of two of architects who articled with him, John James Collins and Richard Dacre Harman .-History:Armson, Collins and Harman was one of the two...
was engaged to design the building, and John Goddard Collins designed a four storey building in perpendicular Gothic style.
The building was constructed using reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
, one of the first in Christchurch to utilise this technique, to support the weight of the printing presses. He allowed for a distinctive tower in the south-west corner. The first edition of The Press produced in the building was published on 2 February 1909. From 1886 to the 1920s, the newspaper used pigeon post
Pigeon post
Pigeon post is the use of homing pigeons to carry messages. Pigeons were effective as messengers due to their natural homing abilities. The pigeons were transported to a destination in cages, where they would be attached with messages, then naturally the pigeon would fly back to its home where the...
for message transfer, and the pigeon house remains on the roof of the building.
The building was sold in 2008 to the Australian company Ganellen. The redevelopment plan was to build a new head office for The Press on an adjacent site in Gloucester Street, and the historic Press Building was to be refurbished as "an A-grade commercial building".
The building was damaged in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
2010 Canterbury earthquake
The 2010 Canterbury earthquake was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, which struck the South Island of New Zealand at 4:35 am on local time ....
, and the company vacated the building on 8 September 2010. The building was certified for use again. It suffered significant damage in the 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake with the top floor collapsing; one employee died, several people were seriously injured and many staff were trapped in the rubble. The earthquake hit two weeks before staff were due to move into the adjacent new office building. The building was demolished in July 2011. All that was remaining by 25 July 2011 was the main entrance door with the newspaper's motto above it ("Nihil utile quod non honestum", which translates to "Nothing is useful that is not honest") and the company's crest above it. Contractors are trying to remove the crest in one piece.
Heritage listing
On 2 April 1985, the building was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I historic place, with the registration number 302. The Lyttelton Times BuildingLyttelton Times Building
The Lyttelton Times Building, last known as Base Backpackers, in 56 Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City, was the last headquarters of the Lyttelton Times before its demise in 1935 as the then oldest newspaper in New Zealand...
in contemporary Chicago school architectural style
Chicago school (architecture)
Chicago's architecture is famous throughout the world and one style is referred to as the Chicago School. The style is also known as Commercial style. In the history of architecture, the Chicago School was a school of architects active in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century...
is located in the same quadrant of Cathedral Square, and the two facades represent the two different newspaper styles, with The Press being regarded as the more conservative newspaper. The building is a notable example of the firm of Armson, Collins and Harman. The use of reinforced concrete is one of the earliest examples in Christchurch.