The War of the Machines

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A digitally manipulated image of a high-reach excavator demolishing a building. The photographer comments, "After the earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand the demolition of most of the City Centre began. After two years the government thought that the progress was far too slow, so began the start of the automatic demolition. Luckily when the solar powered demolition machines started to cause indiscriminate death and destruction they were isolated to the South Island and unable to cross the seas".

Fairfax Video, May 2012 (11)

Videos, UC QuakeStudies

A video of a tour of the Christchurch central city Red Zone. The video includes footage of Cambridge Terrace, the Copthorne Hotel on Colombo Street, Gloucester Street, the Government Life Building in Cathedral Square, the Grant Thornton Building in Cathedral Square, the ChristChurch Cathedral, the new Press Building on Gloucester Street, the Design and Arts College building on Worcester Street, the new Westende Jewellers Building, Hereford Street, the Westpac Trust Building, the BNZ Building, the Holiday Inn, Lichfield Street, High Street, and Cathedral Junction.

Looking Towards the Red Zone

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A view down Beresford Street in New Brighton, looking west towards the city at sunset. The photographer comments, "On the other side of the Avon river from New Brighton is the Bexley red zone. Here numerous earthquake damaged streets of houses will be flattened due to it being to uneconomical in the current climate to repair the land to be suitable for housing. There is a campaign at the moment to try and convert all this red zone land, which is mainly adjacent to the Avon river to a giant park".

Earthquake Memorial

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A small wooden cross is inserted between stones laid out in the shape of a large cross. The photographer comments, "This is an Earthquake Memorial on Manchester Street, Christchurch, New Zealand. This message is on the tree next to the memorial: 'Earthquake Memorial. 185 people died as a result of the 22 February 2011 earthquake. 185 precious lives are remembered here, with 185 pieces of Halswell stone recovered from St Luke's Church, damaged beyond repair on that day. May they rest in peace. St Luke's in the City'".

Zero Cars

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Spray-painted writing on the side of a car parking building reads "0 cars". The photographer comments, "Strangely and appropriately this graffiti was on a car park. In fact the graffiti was 100% correct as the car park is in the Christchurch earthquake red zone and there should be zero cars now inside it. It may have been put on by an anti car protester or just an indication that the car park is empty. One of the suggestions for the City plan for the rebuilt Christchurch was for a pedestrian and cycle only area, which also fits in with 0 CARS".

A Giant Sized Game of Monopoly

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A digitally manipulated image of the Gap Filler Monopoly board square on Manchester Street. The photographer comments, "On the site of a demolished earthquake damaged building in Christchurch, New Zealand is a Monopoly game square for giants. The Gap Filler Project makes the bare land where once a building once stood into something both interesting and unique and this time they created a massive Monopoly board square. In the game of Monopoly you move your player with a dog, shoe or maybe the hat, but as the most common thing in the City are diggers they have the placed one on the square. There are also two houses on Manchester Street, which is priced at $240".

Keeping a Sense of Normality

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Part of Mike Hewson's installation 'Homage To Lost Spaces' in the Cramner Courts building, a photograph of a young man working at a desk has been inserted into a gap in the building. The photographer comments, "Cranmer Courts in Christchurch, New Zealand was very badly damaged in the earthquakes that have rocked the City for the past two years. Mike Hewson thought he would try to bring life back into the buildings by putting photographs into the spaces where the doors and windows were. There was a month or so when no one seemed to know or admit who had put the pictures up, but it was done officially. It seems that though very badly damaged the buildings may get restored".

Remembering the 22nd February 2011

Images, UC QuakeStudies

Graffiti on a wooden wall depicts a child pointing at a site across the street and reads "I remember when the Kazbah was over there." The photographer comments, "A local street artist has commemorated Christchurch's deadliest earthquake. The anniversary is tomorrow. Where the photograph was taken was the site of the Ozone Hotel, which has now gone as well. For some of us who live and work in the East of Christchurch the earthquake was not what happened in the City as we were almost unaware of it. We had no water, toilets and most of all no electricity for weeks. For myself petrol was low and with tales of all the petrol stations on our side of town being damaged we could not take the chance of venturing out on severely damaged roads to find no petrol and the possibility of not getting home. We walked around and saw the damage that was local to us. TJ's Kazbah was one that stood out. A building that had a beauty with its round tower standing proud and always looked well kept - it was now collapsed. Its tower, which was once pointing towards the sky was laying on its side. It had kept its shape, but had a lightning shaped crack through it. The one thing that kept us feeling almost normal through the coming weeks was The Press our daily paper still being delivered even though the Press building and staff had suffered so badly themselves.