Public Trust Building, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Public Trust Building |
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The building in 2013
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| General information | |
| Location | 43°31′54″S 172°38′03″E / 43.5316°S 172.6341°E |
| Address | 152–156 Oxford Terrace |
| Town or city | Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Current tenants | Mixed use office space and rooftop bar |
| Named for | New Zealand Public Trust |
| Completed | 1925 |
| Opened | 11 May 1925 |
| Cost | i |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Cecil Wood |
| Designated: | 26 November 1981 |
| Reference #: | 3128 |
The Public Trust Building in Christchurch, New Zealand, is an important old building. It was designed by a famous architect named Cecil Wood. This building was almost torn down, but it is now being fixed up. It will be used for offices and fun places like a rooftop bar.
Contents
Where is the Building?
The Public Trust Building is located at 152–156 Oxford Terrace. This is in the Christchurch Central City. The building looks out over the Avon River. Next door was the Clarendon Hotel, which is now called the Clarendon Tower.
What is the Public Trust?
The Public Trust of New Zealand helps people manage their money and property. It's a government service for those who don't want to use private companies. It also helps when someone dies without a will. This is called dying intestate. The Public Trust makes sure their property goes to the right people.
The Public Trust started in 1873. The Christchurch office helps a large area of New Zealand. This area stretches from the Clarence River in the north. It goes to the Southern Alps in the west. It also reaches the Rangitata River in the south.
Building History
The Public Trust has had many offices in Christchurch. It grew so fast that it needed new offices often. The first Public Trustee in Christchurch was Alexander Lean. His office was at the Chief Post Office in Cathedral Square.
The office moved to two more buildings in Cathedral Square. Then, in 1909, they bought their own property. This was at 96 Gloucester Street. But even with more rooms added, this building became too small. So, a new place had to be found.
Designing the New Building
Cecil Wood was chosen to design the new building. Wood was an architect in Christchurch since 1906. He was known for designing homes. Later, he designed buildings for Christ's College. The Public Trust Building was one of his first big projects for businesses.
Before the staff moved in, the public could visit the new building. There were two open days on May 7 and 8, 1925. On Saturday, May 9, the old office closed. On Monday, May 11, 1925, the new Public Trust Building opened for business.
Cecil Wood also designed another Public Trust office. This one was in Dunedin and opened in 1929.
Protecting the Building
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust protects important buildings. This group is now called Heritage New Zealand. They listed the Public Trust Building as a Category II structure. This happened on November 26, 1981. Its special number is 3128.
The building also had a separate protection listing from the Christchurch City Council. However, the current owner asked for this local protection to be removed. This request was approved on July 12, 2016.
