Manchester Courts

Manchester Courts
Manchester Courts was condemned following the 2010 Canterbury earthquake
Former names	MLC Building
Alternative names	New Zealand Express Company Building
General information
Type	Commercial high-rise
Architectural style	Chicago skyscraper
Location	Corner Hereford and Manchester Sts, Christchurch Central City
Address	158–160 Manchester Street Christchurch
Coordinates	43°31′56″S 172°38′24″E / 43.5322°S 172.6399°E / -43.5322; 172.6399
Construction started	1905
Completed	1906
Renovated	1986–87
Demolished	2010–11
Cost	£19,000
Client	New Zealand Express Company
Owner	Ferry Oak Properties
Height	39.65 m (130.1 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	7
Design and construction
Architect	Alfred and Edward Luttrell
Heritage New Zealand – Category I
Reference no.	5307
References

Manchester Courts, earlier known as the MLC Building, was a commercial high-rise building in the Christchurch Central City. Built in 1905–1906 for the New Zealand Express Company, it was at the time the tallest commercial building in Christchurch. A Category I heritage building, it suffered serious structural damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and was condemned to be demolished. Demolition began on 19 October, and was completed in February 2011.

Manchester Courts was commissioned by the New Zealand Express Company, which had its headquarters in Dunedin with offices throughout the country. They worked in freight forwarding, customs, shipping and express forwarding agents. At the beginning of the 20th century, they were a major employer in New Zealand.

The company engaged architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell with the design of their Christchurch head offices. The architects had been in the country since 1902, and they are credited with introducing the Chicago skyscraper architectural style to New Zealand, and blending it with Edwardian architecture. The Luttrells' buildings also included the same commissioners' 1908 New Zealand Express House (now Consultancy House) in The Exchange, Dunedin — the city's first skyscraper — which shares many features with Manchester Courts.

From 1991 it had a Category I classification with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. In 1986–1987, the building was refurbished, had its parapet removed and was reclad in steel.

Manchester Courts is believed to have been the first steel reinforced commercial building in Christchurch. The foundations and the two lower stories were made from reinforced concrete. The upper five stories had external unreinforced brick columns that were load bearing, while the interior was made of steel framing.

Manchester Courts suffered significant structural damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake (4 September). The masonry columns were left badly cracked on level three and four and showed shear failure. According to the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering, this was due to the load transfer from the reinforced concrete floor to the unreinforced brick columns, and was further caused by the two storey building adjoining on the south side stopping to provide lateral support at that height. Diagonal cracking on the top floor indicated damage from torsional forces.