History Lyttelton Times Building

two-storey wooden lyttelton times office in cathedral square in ca 1902. behind it, headquarters 1884 fronting gloucester street visible.

the site lyttelton times had occupied in gloucester street agency since 1850s extended through cathedral square. two-storey wooden building erected on cathedral square frontage when headquarters moved lyttelton. further growth necessitated bigger premises, , known star building built on gloucester street frontage in 1884. growth continued, , sidney , alfred luttrell commissioned in 1902 design new building cathedral square frontage.

the luttrell brothers had come christchurch tasmania. lyttelton times building first major commission, , established them architects , building contractors. used chicago school architectural style design, , first time applied them in new zealand. while employed appearance of façade of style, did not employ structural system of internal steel frame, relied on load bearing walls. later commissions, manchester courts in christchurch , consultancy house in dunedin, both new zealand express company, came closer using structural design of chicago school. construction of lyttelton times building started in ca 1902, , building finished in 1904. @ time, tallest building in cathedral square besides tower of christchurch cathedral itself.

initially, of rooms in building used adjacent warner s hotel, built in 1901 after previous hotel burned down. association warner s did not last long, patrons kept awake @ night printing presses in building. in fact, noise environment bad enough in warner s hotel itself, , northern end of hotel, adjoined lyttelton times building, removed in 1917 , gap filled liberty theatre (later called savoy).

the lyttelton times changed name christchurch times in 1929, , in 1935, production of newspaper folded owing intense competition, 2 morning papers , 2 evening papers being published in christchurch @ time. press, still published today, took morning newspaper market. lyttelton times company renamed new zealand newspapers ltd , published star-sun evening paper, continuation of evening paper star, had been published since 1868. production of star-sun continued in building until 1958, when newspaper shifted premises in kilmore street , changed name again star. still published in christchurch on wednesdays , fridays free newspaper.

in 1994, building registered heritage building new zealand historic places trust (nzhpt). in 1997, owner of star building, lyttelton times building , warner s hotel applied demolition consent. @ time, lyttelton times building registered nzhpt. hearing s commissioner, bob batty, granted permission lyttelton times building demolished, declined request warner s hotel, , granted permission demolish star building, façade had kept. environment court overturned demolition consent, , lyttelton times building purchased christchurch heritage trust, turned building backpackers hostel , restaurant.

following february 2011 christchurch earthquake, lyttelton times building of 2 april 2011 not on list of buildings demolished. in august 2011, reported building has been demolished. historic part of warner s hotel understood needing demolition, while adjacent press building demolished in july 2011.