Excelsior Hotel, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Excelsior Hotel |
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Excelsior Hotel in March 2011 with significant earthquake damage
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| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Location | Christchurch Central City |
| Address | 120 Manchester Street |
| Town or city | Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 43°32′05.5″S 172°38′23.5″E / 43.534861°S 172.639861°E |
| Completed | 1882 |
| Demolished | 10 April 2016 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | three |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Armson |
| Designated: | 16 November 1989 |
| Reference #: | 4390 |
The Excelsior Hotel was a famous old building located at 120 Manchester Street in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It was first known as the Borough Hotel and later as Excelsior Backpackers. This important building was designed by a very well-known architect named William Armson. It was one of the few buildings he designed that were still standing in the city. Sadly, the Excelsior Hotel was badly damaged during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and had to be taken down in 2016.
Contents
The Excelsior Hotel: A Look Back
Early Days of the Hotel
A hotel first opened on this spot in 1865. It was originally called the Harp of Erin. In 1870, its name changed to the Borough Hotel. Later, in 1878, a man named John Barrett bought it, and it became known as Barrett's Family Hotel.
In 1879, an incident happened outside Barrett's hotel. This event caused trouble for John Barrett. Because of what happened, Barrett lost his special licence to sell drinks. To fix his reputation, he decided to pull down the old hotel building.
Building a New Excelsior
John Barrett hired William Armson to design a brand new hotel. Armson was a very important architect at that time. He had worked for Barrett before on another building called the Durham Arms. The new hotel was built in 1881 or 1882. In 1906, the hotel's name was changed to the Excelsior Hotel, which it kept for many years.
Saving and Losing the Hotel
In 1997, the Christchurch Heritage Trust bought the building. They wanted to save it from being torn down. The hotel was badly damaged during the big 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Even though there were plans to fix it, only the western front part of the building was kept at first.
The Christchurch Heritage Trust bought the hotel again in July 2011, hoping to restore it. However, they later sold the site to developers Miles Yeoman and Craig Newbury. This was because the Trust needed money to focus on fixing other important buildings. The new owners decided to take down the last part of the building on 10 April 2016. They now plan to build a new hotel that looks just like the old Excelsior Hotel.
What the Hotel Looked Like
The Excelsior Hotel was a three-storey building made of brick and plaster. It had fancy railings called balustrades. The outside walls looked like they were made of rough stone, which is called rusticated stonework. The window frames on the outside were also very decorative. On the first floor, the windows facing north were grouped in threes. The middle window had a special arched top design called a segmental pediment.
A Special Building
The Excelsior Hotel was officially listed as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand. This means it was considered a very important historical place. Heritage New Zealand is an organisation that helps protect and care for special old buildings and places in New Zealand.
