Hornby Clocktower facts for kids
The Hornby Clocktower was a famous building in Christchurch, New Zealand. People often called it the Hornby Clock Tower or just the clock tower. It stood in the suburb of Hornby right on New Zealand State Highway 1. For over 50 years, it was like a big welcome sign at the southern entrance to Christchurch.
The building got a fresh new look in 2010. But less than three months later, it was badly hurt by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and later aftershocks. Sadly, the Hornby Clocktower was taken down in October 2014.
Contents
A Look Back: The Hornby Clocktower's Story
How the Clocktower Began (1960s)
The first Hornby Clocktower was built sometime in the 1960s. A person named Don Donnithorne designed it. When it was new, the building was home to the Central Canterbury Electric Power Board. This was a company that managed electricity in the area.
The Big Makeover in 2010
The building had a major update in 2010. The work finished by December of that year. Wilson and Hill Architects redesigned the building. A company called Epoch Property managed the project.
The top five floors of the tower were made into office spaces. The ground floor was for shops. A coffee shop called 'Coffee Culture' was the first business there. It was the only company to rent space in the tower after the makeover.
Outside the Hornby Clocktower, there were other shops. These shops were built like a strip mall next to the tower. They were added during the final update and are still there today.
Earthquake Damage and Closure
The building was mostly fine after the 2010 Canterbury earthquake. This earthquake happened while the building was being updated. But less than three months after the update, the tower was damaged. This happened during the big 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Strong aftershocks hit in December 2011. After these, everyone left the building for good. In early 2012, Epoch Property said they wanted to save the Clocktower. But they felt it would cost too much money to fix it. So, they started thinking about taking it down.
The Clocktower Comes Down
Work to take down the tower started in late August 2014. The demolition was finished by October of that year. By 2016, a new building was on the site. It became a Carl's Jr. fast food restaurant.
