Warner's Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Warner's Hotel |
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Warner's Hotel in December 2010 with the Novotel completed
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| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Architectural style | Victorian Free Classical |
| Location | Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City |
| Address | 50 Cathedral Square |
| Town or city | Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 43°31′50″S 172°38′15″E / 43.5305°S 172.6375°E |
| Current tenants | Novotel |
| Completed | 29 October 1901 |
| Renovated | 1910 (fourth storey added) |
| Client | Percy Arthur Herman |
| Owner | Chrystal Imports |
| Landlord | Gordon Chamberlain |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | four |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Joseph Madison |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Sidney and Alfred Luttrell |
| Designated: | 24 April 1997 |
| Reference #: | 7384 |
Warner's Hotel is a famous building located at 50 Cathedral Square in Christchurch, New Zealand. A hotel has been on this spot since 1863. The first building was added to many times, but it sadly burned down in 1900.
A new hotel was built in 1901. This building also changed a lot over the years. In 1910, a fourth floor was added. Later, part of the building was taken down to make space for a theatre. This theatre helped block noise from a nearby printing company. In 2010, a tall Novotel hotel opened where the theatre used to be. The front of the old 1901 hotel was rebuilt to look like it did before.
Warner's Hotel was considered a special heritage building by Heritage New Zealand. It had a special number, 7384. After the big 2011 Christchurch earthquake in February, the old part of the hotel had to be taken down in late 2011. The owner has permission to rebuild the hotel. However, they are waiting because of other big building projects nearby.
Contents
The Hotel's Early Days
The first hotel on this site was called the Commercial and Dining Rooms. It was started by John Etherden Coker in 1863. William Francis Warner became the owner around 1873 or 1874. From the mid-1870s, the place became known as Warner's Hotel.
William Warner was a very well-known hotel owner in Christchurch. He sadly drowned in a boating accident in 1896. His funeral was a very big event in Christchurch. Even the Prime Minister, Richard Seddon, sent flowers.
The Big Fire of 1900
On the evening of 24 April 1900, a fire started at Warner's Hotel. The part of the building made of wood was completely destroyed. However, the newer part of the hotel could still be used.
After the firefighters left, the fire started again! It almost spread to the building next door, which belonged to the Lyttelton Times newspaper. Luckily, only some windows broke from the heat, and the newspaper building was saved.
Building the New Hotel
In March 1901, Percy Arthur Herman took over the hotel. He was an experienced hotel owner from the North Island. Herman hired architect Joseph Maddison to design a brand new building. Maddison chose a style called Victorian Free Classical. This style often looks like grand Italian palaces.
The front of the new hotel had a large main entrance. It had a triangular top part (called a pediment) and decorative railings (balustrades) on either side. This showed a classic, balanced design. The new hotel had over 120 rooms and opened on 29 October 1901.
Changes and Neighbours
Percy Herman worked with architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell on other projects too. They designed a building across Cathedral Square, which is now known as the Regent Theatre. This building was finished in 1905.
Before that, in 1902, the Luttrell Brothers also designed a new building for the Lyttelton Times newspaper. This new Lyttelton Times Building was built right next to Warner's Hotel and opened in 1904. At first, Warner's Hotel rented some upper rooms in the newspaper building for extra hotel guests. But this didn't work out. The loud printing presses kept the guests awake at night!
Adding a Floor and a Theatre
In 1910, Herman hired the Luttrell Brothers again to make his hotel bigger. They designed an extra floor for the hotel. They made sure the front of the hotel still looked balanced and grand. They moved the main entrance's triangular top part up one floor. They also put the decorative railings back in place.
However, in 1917, the balanced look of the hotel's front was changed. The northern end of the hotel was taken down. In its place, the Liberty Theatre was built. This theatre was meant to be a sound barrier. It would block the noise from the Lyttelton Times printing presses, which were still keeping hotel guests awake. The Liberty Theatre was later known as the Savoy Theatre. It was also a heritage building but was taken down in 1993.
A Popular Beer Garden
In the 1960s, the triangular top part and decorative railings were removed from Warner's Hotel. The empty space left by the demolished Savoy Theatre became a popular outdoor area called a beer garden.
This beer garden became a well-loved spot. A famous person who often visited was Rod Donald, a co-leader of the Green Party. After his funeral in the nearby ChristChurch Cathedral in 2005, a gathering was held in the beer garden.
The Novotel and Earthquakes
From the 1960s until 2000, Warner's Hotel was at risk of being demolished. Then, a property investor named Gordon Chamberlain bought the building. A new 14-story Novotel hotel was built where the beer garden used to be. The front of the new hotel was made to look like the original 1910 front of Warner's Hotel. The Novotel opened in January 2010.
Gordon Chamberlain's company, Crystal Imports, owned several buildings in the city centre, including Warner's Hotel. After the big 2011 Christchurch earthquake in February, Warner's Hotel was badly damaged. It was decided that the historic part of the building would be demolished.
In September 2011, there was a discussion about whether Warner's Hotel should be saved. Some people, like politician Brendon Burns, argued that it should stay. However, the historic part of Warner's Hotel was taken down by early November 2011.
The Novotel hotel reopened on 19 August 2013 after 18 months of repairs. In 2016, it was reported that the owner had permission to rebuild Warner's Hotel. But like many other owners nearby, they decided to wait. This was because of uncertainty about other big projects in the area. These included the future of ChristChurch Cathedral and a new Convention Centre.
Gallery
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Warner's Hotel between 1904 (when the Lyttelton Times Building was finished) and 1910 (when another floor was added to the hotel)
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Warner's Hotel with the fourth floor added in 1910, and its front still looking balanced until 1917
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Warner's Hotel in 1926, with the Liberty Theatre built next to it to block noise from the Lyttelton Times Building
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Warner's Hotel in 2007, showing the beer garden before the Novotel hotel was built
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An old photo of the dining room inside Warner's Hotel
