Peter Meecham / Stuff
Lawrie and Wilson Auctioneers’ heritage building, right, has been restored and reopened.
An ornate building once used as a strip club, auction halls and municipal parking office has been restored and reopened.
The Grade II listed Lawrie and Wilson Auctioneers building in central Christchurch was damaged by earthquakes in Canterbury more than 10 years ago. Along with the Odeon Theater next door, it then sat behind shipping containers and fences, awaiting restoration, and stood on the “Dirty 30” List of City Council Buildings regarded as obstacles to the reconstruction of the city.
The building was officially reopened last week in a small ceremony attended by representatives from Ngāi Tūāhiriri, Heritage New Zealand, Christchurch Civic Trust, Christchurch City Council and other stakeholders, in addition to members of the project and construction team.
Canterbury Regional Environment Council (ECan) purchased the Crown buildings as they are for $2.95 million in 2020. The sale also included vacant land adjacent to them.
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The Odeon Theater and the Lawrie and Wilson buildings were put up for sale in June and have now been sold. (First published in June 2020)
Since then, the roof has been replaced, the stone facade has been refurbished and kept intact, the external fire escape paths on the ground floor have been improved and the building has been reinforced to 100% of the current building standard.
Ecan said the ground floor would be leased to the new water services regulator for New Zealand – Taumata Arowai. The space on the first floor will be occupied by their staff.
Architecturally, the Lawrie and Wilson Auctioneers building is one of the few surviving examples of a small Edwardian Baroque commercial building in central Christchurch.
Glen Howey
The damaged Odeon Theater, pictured in 2014. This part of the building has since been demolished.
“The building holds significance for central Christchurch as a trading hub, hosting a colorful array of businesses, professions and groups over the past century,” said Ecan Chairman Jenny Hughey in a statement.
“Many of the residents were manufacturers or traders, including an upholsterer, leather dealers, sign writers, and photo-editing labs.”
The building sustained moderate damage during the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes as reinforcement work in 1997 prevented major structural damage.
Peter Meecham / Stuff
The two-storey building was first opened as an auction house in 1911.
Built in 1911 as an auction house, the two-story building was later the Pink Pussycat strip club and then the city’s parking lot, where motorists went to pay fines.
“The story of preserving this building began in the 1990s when community heritage advocates fought to ensure it was restored by Christchurch City Council, then proponents had to struggle again during the post-earthquake period for its survival. to insure,” said Hughey.
“Fortunately, the earthquake’s previous amplification meant that damage during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes was at a level that allowed for recovery.”