The Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission has heard how close the city's tallest building came to collapsing entirely during the February 22nd earthquake.
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "A view looking east along Cashel Street from Colombo Street".
A long-reach excavator on a demolition site in the central city.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Taken from Hereford Street looking across the site of the Occidental Hotel to the IRD building on Cashel Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Tramway Lane from Worcester Street".
A photograph of damaged buildings on High Street, seen from the Hotel Grand Chancellor. The photograph is captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "235-239 High Street".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Three diggers artfully arranged at the Hotel Grand Chancellor site, aka Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Little Bear".
An aerial photograph of Cathedral Square.
1884 Outside the City Hotel, a stream of Hackney and Hansom cabs wait for fares at ‘Cabstand Corner’ (later known as the ‘Triangle’.) The year is 1884 and it appears t…
Sandwiched between the iconic White Hart Hotel and the Universal Boot Depot at 223-225 High Street, was the business founded by Mr James Freeman, a pastry cook and caterer. Opened in 1891, the buil…
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Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Tai Tapu Hotel owners Tania Smith and Jacqui Ballantyne have been flat out since the earthquake to get it running again".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Looking down Cashel Mall to the Hotel Grand Chancellor and the Westpac Building, seen through the Bridge of Remembrance".
The empty site of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, now demolished. Wire fencing surrounds the property. This is where the Pallet Pavilion is to be built.
A photograph of badly-damaged buildings on Manchester Street. Coloured shipping containers are stacked in front of the remaining facade of the Excelsior Hotel building.
A photograph of badly-damaged buildings on Manchester Street. Coloured shipping containers are stacked in front of the remaining facade of the Excelsior Hotel building.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. A tourist leaves her hotel through a smoke-filled Cathedral Square after an electrical fire on Worcester Street".
A digitally manipulated image of demolition machinery, with the Hotel So in the background. The photographer comments, "Strange things happen when you use technicolor film".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "Earthquake in Christchurch. A tourist leaves her hotel through a smoke filled Cathedral Square after an electrical fire on Worcester Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The Grant Thornton building and the old Government Life building in Cathedral Square".
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The IRD building on Cashel Street seen from across the demolition site of the Occidental Hotel on Hereford Street".
Photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "Cathedral Square with the Cathedral in the foreground, the Novotel Hotel behind and BNZ building under deconstruction on the right".
A photograph of the Rydges Hotel taken from Cambridge Terrace, across the Avon River. To the right, the Clarendon Towers can be seen, currently under deconstruction.
A photograph captioned by BeckerFraserPhotos, "The corner of Victoria Street and Kilmore Streets, overlooking the demolition site of the Copthorne Hotel on Durham Street".
A photograph taken from Manchester Street, looking across a cleared building site with temporary sculptures. Hotel So can be seen on Cashel Street in the distance.
A photograph taken from Manchester Street, looking across a cleared building site with temporary sculptures. Hotel So can be seen on Cashel Street in the distance.
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The early morning earthquake caused damage to the Royal Hotel. Pictured inspecting the damage is Derek Neill of The Timaru District Council".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The early morning earthquake caused damage to the Royal Hotel at Temuka. Pictured is the new owner of the Royal Maz Opele".
Photograph captioned by Fairfax, "The early morning earthquake caused damage to the Royal Hotel at Temuka. Pictured is the new owner of the Royal Maz Opele".
A photograph of earthquake damage to Croydon House Bed and Breakfast Hotel on Armagh Street. USAR codes have been spray painted on the fence and building.