Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Two Christchurch landmarks likely to come down

Updated at 6:32 pm on 7 September 2010

Two earthquake-damaged heritage buildings in central Christchurch are likely to be demolished, having been deemed unsafe and beyond repair.

One is Manchester Courts, a seven-storey office building with a category 1 heritage listing. That means it has "special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value".

Manchester Courts was the tallest commercial building in Christchurch at the time of its construction in 1906 and it has been a significant feature of the Christchurch skyline ever since.

Its historical significance lies in its architectural style: it was one of the earliest New Zealand attempts at the Chicago skyscraper style.

The other building candidate for demolition is two-storey Cecil House on the corner of St Asaph St and Manchester St. It was built in 1877.

A decision on whether or not to demolish will be made on Wednesday.

Cathedral cracks being checked

Meanwhile, cracks in Christchurch Cathedral are being investigated.

Cordons have been set up around the cathedral and an inspection is under way to determine how serious the damage is.

The cracks may not necessarily be related to Saturday's 7.1 quake and the many aftershocks.

The cathedral earlier received an all-clear from engineers, but Dean Peter Beck asked them to return to check the cracks.

Dean Beck says there is no need for alarm: the check is simply a precautionary measure.

Hair salon to be demolished

Small businesses are still assessing the physical and financial damage.

Tracy Geerin says her hair salon on the corner of Barbadoes St and Edgeware Rd in St Albans was badly damaged in the quake.

Ms Geerin says the shop, which has also been struck by looters, will have to be demolished.

She says, however, that she is incredibly lucky because she owns the shop and will be able to rebuild it on the site.

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