Lost to the Quakes

Henry Africa’s restaurant was established in this building in 1973, alongside the wine bar Sweet Jane’s. Each venue had an extensive outdoor courtyard and deck area. Both venues became iconic in Christchurch. The building was sadly lost to the September 2010 earthquake.

242 High Street has had many businesses call home over the decades. Once the headquarters of the original Canterbury Savings bank which was acquired by Westpac  and Echo records enjoyed success on the site. The last tenant was high profile Cheapskates who also enjoyed decades of success in the building. The quakes took its toll […]

Built circa 1900, it had under gone significant upgrades and was the long time headquarters of MB Cook commercial agents. The building could be mistaken for number 10 Downing Street and was a very simple but very elegant building. The quakes sadly took their toll on the building and it was demolished just after the […]

Year of Construction: 1905 Westende House was built on the south-west corner of John Bealey’s 1852 four-acre garden. The design complimented the neighbouring Hall of Agriculture & Industry. The original occupant was the Christchurch branch of the Wellington based brothers Hugh and Thomas Inglis, motor and cycle manufacturers and local agents for the Star Engineering Company of […]

Year of Construction: 1916 Hillary & Baxter House was designed by architect John Guthrey. The firm closed its doors in 2008 and the building then underwent a full restoration. Sadly on 4 September 2010 the building was damaged by the first Christchurch earthquake. The land has since been purchased by the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) as part of […]

Year of Construction: 1906 This substantial building was designed and constructed by England Bros in 1906. The company also supplied the materials for the job from their building supplies division. KPI Rothschild restored the building in 2004 and received a Civic Trust Award for this work. The building housed the Globe Cafe and four boutique retailers […]

Year of Construction: 1905 The Duncan’s Buildings rated as a category two historic and heritage group of buildings. KPI Rothschild owned two of the group, which had been fully restored, including handcrafted replicas of the original shop fronts. The shops were high-end retail on the ground floor, with the original Groovy Glasses as one of the occupants. […]

Year of Construction: 1890s Bar Belezza House was made up of two buildings with ornate plaster detailing and a protected facade. This premises was fully restored prior to the earthquakes. The original fluting and window detail were reinstated and earthquake and fire upgrades were carried out. The first floor was occupied by Dynasty Karaoke Bar and the […]

Year of Construction: 1889 George Henry House was an elaborate building with a protected facade. It was originally constructed for George Henry and Co, a coffee and spice importer. The building had always been well maintained. The Travel Doctor occupied the ground floor, with a firm of solicitors on the first floor and a San Francisco style […]

Constructed Circa 1900.  This ornate building was once the home of Dunlop tyres head offices. The 2011 quakes took their toll on the building and it was sadly demolished.

Year of Construction: 1893 The original Glendenning Hill Building was constructed for a Dunedin based clothing manufacturer, Glendenning Hill. The building later became one of four buildings occupied by the Strange’s Department Store. Following the death of William Strange, the building was known as Victoria House. In the early 1960s the building caught fire and sustained damage […]

This section of the Chair Building had been fully refurbished with concrete polished floors, gib white walls and exposed brick. It included a basement which housed a podiatry clinic, with AMG Agency and Scotty Browns on the ground floor. The building was damaged beyond economic repair in the February 2011 earthquakes.

Remmington House was an attractive three-level brick building, designed as a warehouse and store. The original railway lines and cobblestones added to the edgy fit out of the Foam Bar that occupied the ground floor. The two upper floors were offices. The building had been refurbished, including earthquake and fire upgrades, but unfortunately was damaged […]

Number 14 was the home of Sammy’s Jazz review and was like a trip to SOHO, with an inner courtyard surrounded by brick buildings that were once the good entry to the first class neighbour on Lichfield Street. The first floor housed Rodney “Rod” Donald and the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. The quakes […]