Warner's Hotel
Encyclopedia
Warner's Hotel in 50 Cathedral Square
, Christchurch
is the site of a hotel established in 1863. The original building, extended on numerous occasions, burned down in 1900. The current building was built in 1901. Again, it has undergone numerous alterations. A fourth storey was added in 1910 and the northern end of the building was demolished in 1917 and a theatre built in its place to create a noise buffer to the printing presses of the adjoining Lyttelton Times Building
. The theatre was demolished in 1996 and patrons enjoyed a beer garden. In 2010, a high rise hotel opened on the site of the beer garden and in the process, the historical and symmetrical 1901 façade was recreated.
Warner's Hotel is recognised as a Category II heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
, with registration number 7384. Subsequent to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the historic part of the building has been demolished.
among licensed victualler
s in Christchurch", drowned in a boating accident on the Avon Heathcote Estuary
in 1896. The three resulting funerals were a big event in Christchurch, and Prime Minister Richard Seddon
sent flowers to Warner's funeral.
Fire broke out at Warner's Hotel on the evening of 24 April 1900. The wooden portion of the building was destroyed, but the modern part was still habitable. After the fire crews had left, the fire ignited again. The fire threatened at one point to ignite the adjacent original building of the Lyttelton Times
, but apart from some windows broken by the intense heat, nothing happened.
The licence for the hotel was transferred to Percy Arthur Herman, an experienced proprietor from the North Island
, in March 1901. Herman engaged architect Joseph Madison to design a new building for the site, who chose a Victorian Free Classical
architecture style in the palazzo
genre. The façade utilised a grand central entrance with a pediment
and balustrade
d parapet
s on either side, representing typical use of classical symmetry. The new hotel, with over 120 rooms, was opened on 29 October 1901.
Herman, together with solicitor Walter Cresswell, commissioned architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
to design what became known as the Royal Exchange, and what is these days known as the Regent Theatre, on the opposite site of Cathedral Square. That building was constructed in 1905. Earlier, in 1902, the Luttrell Brothers had been engaged by the publishers of the Lyttelton Times to design new headquarters on their existing site. The new Lyttelton Times Building
was built immediately adjacent to Warner's Hotel and opened in 1904. Initially, Warner's Hotel rented some of the rooms on the upper floors as additional hotel rooms, but this venture folded in 1905, as the printing presses kept the guests awake at night.
Herman engaged the Luttrell Brothers again in 1910 for an expansion of his hotel, and he got them to design another floor. The architectural integrity of the Cathedral Square façade was kept by shifting the entrance pediment up by one floor, and by reinstating the balustraded parapets. In 1917, however, the symmetry of the façade was destroyed by the decision to have the north end of the hotel demolished. In its place, the Liberty Theatre (later known as the Savoy Theatre) was built, and it was to act as a noise buffer between the hotel patrons and the printing presses of the Lyttelton Times, which kept them awake at night. The Savoy Theatre was later registered as a Category II building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, but it was demolished in 1993.
In the 1960s, the pediment and the parapets were removed from Warner's Hotel. The gap left by the demolished Savoy developed into a beer garden, and it became a popular place. One regular patron was Green Party
co-leader Rod Donald
, and after his funeral in the adjacent ChristChurch Cathedral on 10 November 2005, his wake
was held in the beer garden.
Warner's Hotel was under the threat of demolition from the 1960s until 2000, when property investor and developer Gordon Chamberlain, director of Crystal Imports, purchased the building from Angus Macfarlane. A 14 storey hotel was built on the site of the beer garden behind a replica of the hotel's original 1910 façade. The new hotel, designed by Dalman architects, opened in January 2010.
and Warner's. At least two of those properties are likely to be demolished having suffered significant damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, including Warner's Hotel.
Cathedral Square, Christchurch
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located...
, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
is the site of a hotel established in 1863. The original building, extended on numerous occasions, burned down in 1900. The current building was built in 1901. Again, it has undergone numerous alterations. A fourth storey was added in 1910 and the northern end of the building was demolished in 1917 and a theatre built in its place to create a noise buffer to the printing presses of the adjoining Lyttelton Times Building
Lyttelton Times Building
The Lyttelton Times Building, last known as Base Backpackers, in 56 Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City, was the last headquarters of the Lyttelton Times before its demise in 1935 as the then oldest newspaper in New Zealand...
. The theatre was demolished in 1996 and patrons enjoyed a beer garden. In 2010, a high rise hotel opened on the site of the beer garden and in the process, the historical and symmetrical 1901 façade was recreated.
Warner's Hotel is recognised as a Category II heritage building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
, with registration number 7384. Subsequent to the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the historic part of the building has been demolished.
History
The Commercial and Dining Rooms were established by John Etherden Coker (1832–1894) in 1863. William Francis Warner (1836–1896) was either the third proprietor from 1874, or the second proprietor from 1873, and the establishment was known as Warner's Hotel from the mid 1870s. Warner, described as "the patriarchPatriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
among licensed victualler
Victualler
A victualler is traditionally a person who sells food or other provisions, similar to a grocer, and in particular British usage can be used to mean a person licensed to sell alcoholic beverages....
s in Christchurch", drowned in a boating accident on the Avon Heathcote Estuary
Avon Heathcote Estuary
The Avon Heathcote Estuary is the largest semi-enclosed shallow estuary in Canterbury and remains one of New Zealand’s most important coastal wetlands. It is well known as an internationally important habitat for migratory birds, and it is an important recreational playground and educational resource...
in 1896. The three resulting funerals were a big event in Christchurch, and Prime Minister Richard Seddon
Richard Seddon
Richard John Seddon , sometimes known as King Dick, is to date the longest serving Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is regarded by some, including historian Keith Sinclair, as one of New Zealand's greatest political leaders....
sent flowers to Warner's funeral.
Fire broke out at Warner's Hotel on the evening of 24 April 1900. The wooden portion of the building was destroyed, but the modern part was still habitable. After the fire crews had left, the fire ignited again. The fire threatened at one point to ignite the adjacent original building of the Lyttelton Times
Lyttelton Times
The Lyttelton Times was the first newspaper in Canterbury, New Zealand, publishing the first edition in January 1851. It was established by the Canterbury Association as part of its planned settlement of Canterbury and developed into a liberal, at the time sometimes seen as radical, newspaper...
, but apart from some windows broken by the intense heat, nothing happened.
The licence for the hotel was transferred to Percy Arthur Herman, an experienced proprietor from the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, in March 1901. Herman engaged architect Joseph Madison to design a new building for the site, who chose a Victorian Free Classical
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
architecture style in the palazzo
Palazzo
Palazzo, an Italian word meaning a large building , may refer to:-Buildings:*Palazzo, an Italian type of building**Palazzo style architecture, imitative of Italian palazzi...
genre. The façade utilised a grand central entrance with a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
and balustrade
Baluster
A baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, one of various forms of spindle in woodwork, made of stone or wood and sometimes of metal, standing on a unifying footing, and supporting the coping of a parapet or the handrail of a staircase. Multiplied in this way, they form a...
d parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
s on either side, representing typical use of classical symmetry. The new hotel, with over 120 rooms, was opened on 29 October 1901.
Herman, together with solicitor Walter Cresswell, commissioned architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Sidney and Alfred Luttrell
Edward Sydney "Sidney" Luttrell and his brother Alfred Edward Luttrell were partners of S. & A. Luttrell, a firm of architects and building contractors noted for its contributions to New Zealand architecture, both in terms of style and technology...
to design what became known as the Royal Exchange, and what is these days known as the Regent Theatre, on the opposite site of Cathedral Square. That building was constructed in 1905. Earlier, in 1902, the Luttrell Brothers had been engaged by the publishers of the Lyttelton Times to design new headquarters on their existing site. The new Lyttelton Times Building
Lyttelton Times Building
The Lyttelton Times Building, last known as Base Backpackers, in 56 Cathedral Square, Christchurch Central City, was the last headquarters of the Lyttelton Times before its demise in 1935 as the then oldest newspaper in New Zealand...
was built immediately adjacent to Warner's Hotel and opened in 1904. Initially, Warner's Hotel rented some of the rooms on the upper floors as additional hotel rooms, but this venture folded in 1905, as the printing presses kept the guests awake at night.
Herman engaged the Luttrell Brothers again in 1910 for an expansion of his hotel, and he got them to design another floor. The architectural integrity of the Cathedral Square façade was kept by shifting the entrance pediment up by one floor, and by reinstating the balustraded parapets. In 1917, however, the symmetry of the façade was destroyed by the decision to have the north end of the hotel demolished. In its place, the Liberty Theatre (later known as the Savoy Theatre) was built, and it was to act as a noise buffer between the hotel patrons and the printing presses of the Lyttelton Times, which kept them awake at night. The Savoy Theatre was later registered as a Category II building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, but it was demolished in 1993.
In the 1960s, the pediment and the parapets were removed from Warner's Hotel. The gap left by the demolished Savoy developed into a beer garden, and it became a popular place. One regular patron was Green Party
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
co-leader Rod Donald
Rod Donald
Rodney David "Rod" Donald , was a New Zealand politician who co-led the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, along with Jeanette Fitzsimons.He lived in Christchurch with his partner Nicola Shirlaw, and their three daughters....
, and after his funeral in the adjacent ChristChurch Cathedral on 10 November 2005, his wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
was held in the beer garden.
Warner's Hotel was under the threat of demolition from the 1960s until 2000, when property investor and developer Gordon Chamberlain, director of Crystal Imports, purchased the building from Angus Macfarlane. A 14 storey hotel was built on the site of the beer garden behind a replica of the hotel's original 1910 façade. The new hotel, designed by Dalman architects, opened in January 2010.
Heritage listing
On 24 April 1997, the building was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category II historic place, with the registration number 7384. The building is recognised due to its contribution of the street scape in this part of Cathedral Square, being one of the number of heritage buildings in the quadrant. In terms of cultural significance, it was an important meeting place for businesses and community groups. Until the 1900s, it was also a transport terminus.Earthquakes
Crystal Imports owns five properties in the central city, including the Chief Post OfficeChief Post Office, Christchurch
The former Chief Post Office is located in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was initially a post office with other government services; it is now a Visitor Information Centre. It was the site of the first telephone exchange in New Zealand...
and Warner's. At least two of those properties are likely to be demolished having suffered significant damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, including Warner's Hotel.