St Elmo Courts
{{Short description|Demolished high rise building}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox building
| name = St Elmo Courts
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| image = St Elmo Court, Jan 2010.jpg
| caption = St Elmo Courts in January 2010
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| building_type = Apartments in high-rise, mostly converted to offices
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| location = Corner Hereford and Montreal Streets, Christchurch Central City
| address = 47 Hereford Street
Christchurch
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| coordinates = {{coord|-43.5319|172.6310|display=inline}}
| start_date = 1930
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| inauguration_date = 1930
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| demolition_date = March 2011
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| floor_count = 8
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| architect = B. J. Ager
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| embedded = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=NZ Category II|designation1_number=3133|designation1_date=26-Nov-1981}}
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| references = {{NZHPT|3133|St Elmo Courts|21 March 2011}}
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St Elmo Courts was a residential high rise building constructed in 1930 in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. Used mainly as an office building in later years, it had a Category II heritage listing by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. It was demolished in March 2011, having suffered significant damage in the 2010 Canterbury earthquake and more damage in the subsequent February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
History
The site of the building, on the corner of Hereford and Montreal Streets, was occupied by the St Elmo Boarding House. It was advertised as "superior private accommodation".{{cite web|title=St Elmo Boarding House on Worcester Street, between Montreal Street and Cambridge Terrace, was advertised as superior private accommodation|url= http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Photos/Disc11/IMG0097.asp |publisher=Christchurch City Libraries|accessdate=20 March 2011|year=1921}} A replacement building, St Elmo Courts, was designed in 1929 by B. J. Ager.{{cite web|title=St Elmo Courts (1st of 2)| url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/inner-city-living/2/3/1 |publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |accessdate=20 March 2011}} This reflected a movement in the larger New Zealand cities in the 1920s and 1930s for apartment living. The appeals were inexpensive living in a central location, with apartments offering modern conveniences and built in furniture.{{cite web |title=City flats |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/inner-city-living/2 |publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |accessdate=20 March 2011}} St Elmo Courts was constructed in 1930.{{cite web|title=St Elmo Courts|url= http://www.historic.org.nz/TheRegister/RegisterSearch/RegisterResults.aspx?RID=3133&m=advanced|publisher=NZHPT|accessdate=20 March 2011}} Accordingly, St Elmo Court provided bedsits and two-bedroom apartments. Many of those were later converted to office space.{{cite web|title=St Elmo Courts floor plan (2nd of 2) |url= http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/inner-city-living/2/3/2|publisher=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |accessdate=20 March 2011}}
After the 2010 Canterbury earthquake, the building was yellow stickered (meaning restricted access only).{{cite news|title=Quake: Day three as it happened|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/quake-day-three-happened-3761280|accessdate=20 March 2011|newspaper=TVNZ|date=6 September 2010}} The building's owner and his insurance company agreed that it was too damaged after the 22 February 2011 earthquake for it to be saved. Demolition began on 20 March 2011.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Giles|title=Heritage building too damaged to save|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4789954/Heritage-building-too-damaged-to-save|accessdate=21 March 2011|newspaper=The Press |date=21 March 2011|author2=Keith Lynch|page=A3}}
Structural design and failure mechanism
File:St Elmo Courts, March 2011.jpg
File:St Elmo Courts, shear failure.jpg
St Elmo Court had a light reinforced concrete frame that was infilled with masonry. Following the 4 September 2010 earthquake, diagonal shear cracks were visible in the façade in the vertical piers.{{cite web|last=Knox|first=Charlotte|title=Central Christchurch – Before and After the Earthquake– a Photo Essay|url=http://db.nzsee.org.nz:8080/documents/10533/13136/Central+Christchurch+-+Before+and+after+the+Earthquake.pdf|publisher=New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering Inc|accessdate=20 March 2011|page=7}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} One column had a shear failure. The damage became more extensive in the 22 February 2011 earthquake.{{cite web|last=Weng|first=Y Kam|title=PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THE CHRISTCHURCH 22 FEB 2011 6.3MW EARTHQUAKE: PRE-1970S RC AND RCM BUILDINGS, AND PRECAST STAIRCASE DAMAGE.|url=http://db.nzsee.org.nz:8080/documents/43301/b274721e-d91a-424c-b8bb-fd51a99d0954|publisher=New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering Inc|accessdate=20 March 2011|page=2|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311182010/http://db.nzsee.org.nz:8080/documents/43301/b274721e-d91a-424c-b8bb-fd51a99d0954|archivedate=11 March 2011}}
Rebuild
A modern, 5-storey replacement has been constructed on the Hereford Street site.{{cite news |title=A new building on the cutting edge |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/your-property/6803468/A-new-building-on-the-cutting-edge |publisher=The Press |accessdate=27 April 2012}} The new building is to 180% of the new building code, and features base isolators. Law firm Wynn Williams has taken naming rights and the building is now called Wynn Williams House.
Heritage listing
References
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{{Reflist}}
Category:Residential buildings completed in 1930
Category:Heritage New Zealand Category 2 historic places in the Canterbury Region
Category:Buildings and structures in Christchurch
Category:Buildings and structures demolished as a result of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake