Old Government Building | |
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Old Government Building in 2015
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General information | |
Architectural style | Italian High Renaissance palazzo |
Location | Christchurch Central City |
Address | 98 Worcester St |
Town or city | Christchurch |
Country | New Zealand |
Coordinates | 43°18′55″S 172°22′54″E / 43.31518°S 172.381692°ECoordinates: 43°18′55″S 172°22′54″E / 43.31518°S 172.381692°E |
Construction started | 1910 |
Completed | 1913 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Joseph Clarkson Maddison |
Awards and prizes | Canterbury Heritage Awards – Seismic category winner in 2012 and Built Heritage Award winner in 2010 |
Designated | 5 April 1984 |
Reference no. | 301 |
The former Government Building is a heritage building in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was designed by Joseph Clarkson Maddison in 1909. It is a Category I heritage building listed with Heritage New Zealand.
The building was designed to centralise various government departments in Christchurch that had previously been housed in the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings and other rented spaces throughout the city. The Government Buildings opened in 1913 and housed various Government departments up until the 1980s. The last Government department to occupy the building was the Ministry of Works and Development. After being vacant for some time the building was threaten to be demolished in 1991. On 11 July 1991 the Christchurch City Council purchased the building from the government for $735,000. The council then sold it to the ‘Symphony Group’ in 1995 it was converted into a hotel with the conditions to strengthen and conserve the building. It is now home to the Heritage Hotel Christchurch and the bar O.G.B.