Westpac Canterbury Centre

Texte de Wikipédia en anglais, en attente de traduction.

The Westpac Canterbury Centre (also known as the Westpac Building, Westpac Trust Building, and Canterbury Centre) was a landmark tower on the corner of High Street and Cashel Street in the center of Christchurch, New Zealand. In the early 2010s, it was considered the 9th tallest building in Christchurch, standing at 55 metres tall with 13-storeys and a basement level. Designed by Warren and Mahoney in 1981, the building had a distinct look, with rounded concrete columns on each corner and a pointed triangular roof. From above, it was shaped like an elongated hexagon. In Christchurch architecture, it was an early example of the move away from brutalism towards structural expressionism, with the outer aesthetic exposing much of the concrete frame. The building was constructed by C.S. Luney LTD for NZ$6.4 million in 1983 for Canterbury Savings Bank, which later became Trust Bank. In 1996, Westpac acquired the bank and phased out the brand. It served as the head office of Westpac in the South Island until the building was finally closed. The lower floors, including the connected podium structure next to it, served as retail space. In 2010, the tower was cordoned-off and emptied following damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, which included visible spalling to the outer columns, posing a risk to pedestrians. It was deemed salvageable and renovations started within months. However, the building suffered further damage in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, with inelastic deformation occurring in the shear walls cited as a major factor. Due to complicated repairs and the relative age of the building, it was demolished in 2012.