Christchurch Catholic diocese’s general manager Andy Doherty said no donations have been made for the specific purpose of restoring the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. $200,000 left to the church in a will had no specific provision for restoration of the basilica. The donated total of $350,000 would be used for the planned new cathedral, he said. In Read more
People fighting to preserve heritage buildings are questioning the decision announced by the Bishop of Christchurch to demolish the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. But Christchurch Regeneration Minister, Megan Woods says the city needs to accept the church’s decision and move on. Woods said she had many fond memories of the cathedral having gone to school next Read more
In what is becoming a familiar occurrence, the demolition of church-owned buildings is being opposed by people concerned at the loss of a “well-loved landmark” in their community. The demolition of two residential buildings in Parnell, Auckland, owned by the Anglican church has been described as “sinful”. And in Dunedin, an eleventh-hour effort is being Read more
The New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Wellington branch announced the winners of their local awards on Wednesday, 8 May at the Parliament Buildings. Twenty-five projects were commended that “have changed the face of Wellington city and other regional centres. Bulleyment Fortune Architects and Ian Bowman, architectural conservator were the winners of the Heritage Award for Read more
Old Saint Paul’s on Mulgrave St in Wellington closes for up to 10 months this Friday as work begins to physically tie together joints in wood joins that began to dislocate in the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and saw the wooden building become 15cm wider in places. Read more
Canterbury’s Anglican bishop has responded to movie star Sam Neill’s call to demolish the Christ Church Cathedral and replace it with “a dynamic social hub”, saying it’s too late to reconsider the building’s future. Continue reading
A new Catholic Cathedral in Christchurch could be built on a site beside the Avon River, a new four-minute documentary suggests. The documentary begins with filmmaker Gerard Smyth telling Paul Martin, the Catholic bishop of Christchurch, that he has heard “rumours” that the cathedral might be moving. To which Martin replies “It is very interesting Read more
Work began last Thursday on the renovation of the Sacred Heart Basilica in Timaru to protect it against future earthquakes. The project involves major improvements, maintenance and repairs. “We have a responsibility to fulfil the requirements to earthquake strengthen this building for public use and maintain the building as an impressive symbol of Christian Faith Read more
Extensive work to protect a tourist hot spot in the Mackenzie District is well underway. Work on the Church of the Good Shepherd, on the edge of Lake Tekapo, began almost a year ago due to the increasing number of tourists to the district – with many coming to see the church. Continue reading
Demolition of the imposing Erskine College buildings in Island Bay, Wellington, is underway. 96 townhouses are to be constructed on the site. As part of the overall development, the chapel is to be restored at the cost of $7 million. Development manager Earl Hope-Pearson said the feeling was positive as work was able to begin. “After 18 Read more