Hotel Grand Chancellor, Christchurch facts for kids
The Hotel Grand Chancellor was a big hotel in the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was one of many hotels owned by the Grand Chancellor group in Australia and New Zealand. This hotel stood at 161 Cashel Street, very near the main shopping area.
For many years, it was the tallest building in Christchurch. It was about 85 meters (279 feet) tall and had 26 floors. But in 2009, the Pacific Tower became taller.
The building was first built in 1986 by Forbes Construction. It was used as an office building. In 1996, Fletchers Construction changed it into a hotel. It had 15 floors for hotel rooms and 12 floors for car parking. It also had spaces for business meetings.
The hotel was badly damaged by an earthquake in 2011. It had to be taken down in 2012. At first, there were plans to build a new hotel there. But later, they decided to build shops and offices instead. A new Grand Chancellor hotel is now planned for a different spot in the city.
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Earthquakes and Damage
The hotel survived the September 2010 earthquake. It did not have any major damage then. But five months later, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake hit. This earthquake caused a lot of harm to the building.
Why the Hotel Leaned
A very important wall inside the building broke. This wall was called "D5-6" and was in the south-east corner. When it broke, the hotel started to lean to one side. The staircases above the 14th floor also fell apart.
Trapped People and Rescue
Thirty-six people were stuck above the 14th floor. They spent many hours in the damaged building. There were also many large aftershocks. Luckily, all of them were saved safely.
Demolition of the Hotel
People were worried the building might fall down completely. This made it hard for rescue teams to work nearby. The building was made stable on March 4. Then, it was decided to take the building down. This was a complex process done from the top down. The roof was removed in November 2011. A fence was built around the hotel to catch falling pieces. The main demolition started in January 2012. Ward Demolition company took the hotel down.
Future Plans
The owners, Grand Hotels International, wanted to rebuild the hotel. They got permission from the city council. The new hotel was planned to be 50 meters (164 feet) tall. It would have 12 hotel floors and a 5-floor office block. The design was by Warren and Mahoney architects. Fletcher Construction was going to build it by 2015.
Change of Plans
In April 2014, the owners announced a change. The hotel would not be rebuilt on its original spot. Instead, shops and offices would be built there. The Grand Hotels International group said they wanted to build a new hotel somewhere else in Christchurch.
New Location Confirmed
In September 2019, Grand Central confirmed the new plan. A replacement hotel would be built on a new site. This new spot is at the corner of Manchester and Armagh streets.
