Latimer Square

Christchurch Transitional Cathedral. Latimer Square

Since the earthquake, the square has been the site of the city's temporary Anglican Cathedral also known as the Cardboard Cathedral.

One of Christchurch's first stone churches, St John the Baptist Anglican church, was built south of the square in 1864.[10] The architect was Maxwell Bury. The stone church had an octagonal tower. It had a congregation of 450 just prior to the earthquakes in 2010.[11]

St John the Baptist Church, Latimer Square was significantly damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes and subsequently demolished.

New apartments going up overlooking Latimer Square (October 2020)

With many of the buildings surrounding Latimer Square demolished, Fletcher Building won the tender to master plan and build housing in the area. With development continuing, initial sales have been reported to be slow in the media.[12][13][14]

Christchurch Club, Latimer Square

The Christchurch Club's buildings, with repairs completed after the earthquake, are also located on Latimer Square. It is a category 1 historic place built in between 1861 and 1862.[15]

Occidental Hotel, in a neglected state (2009)

The Occidental Hotel (208 Hereford Street) was built  in 1861. It was designed by Samuel Coleridge Farr. It was originally known as Collins' Family Hotel and Boarding House. In 1889, it became known as the Occidental. In 1982 the hotel was renovated. Sheppard and Rout (Architects) designed the refurbishment which included a lounge bar and restaurant. Flappers, a bar with a 1930s theme which opened in October 1985. In 1996, Flappers became the Bull Bar. In 1998 it was turned into a backpackers hotel. It became progressively run down and closed down in August 2006. It was demolished in 2011 after sustaining earthquake damage. The Occidental was registered as a Category II historic place (#1913)[16][17][18]

Charlie B's Backpackers. Sited on Latimer Square prior to being demolished.

Charlie B's sat at the northern end of Latimer Square. It was demolished after the Canterbury earthquakes. A competition was held for the design of replacement buildings for the site. The competition judging panel included Kevin McCloud from the UK television series Grand Designs.[19] The competition was won by Italian architects Anselmi Attiani Architettura and engineers Cresco in 2013 to redevelop the site. Their plans stalled in 2015 with the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) declaring that the developers had failed to meet a deadline to secure the required funding for the project.[20] Gerry Brownlee, the earthquake recovery minister said that the project for the $30 million urban village "should never have started in the first place".[21] A second attempt in 2018 to redevelop the site occurred with the Ōtautahi Urban Guild chosen to develop the site. They had plans for a 150 home development and intended to offer properties for 10 to 20 per cent cheaper than those from private sector.[22] Despite getting a loan of $450,000 from the Christchurch City Council in 2019[23] the development collapsed in December 2020.[24] The site still remained vacant in 2020.[25] In March 2021, it was announced that developers Mike Greer and Richard Peebles had purchased the land and planned to build more than 100 houses on the site. Work is expected to start later in 2021 on the site. There is expected to be a mix of two bedroom apartments built above retail space and three-bedroom townhouses which will surround a communal garden space.[26]

Park Tower, Latimer Square. One of the few remaining tall buildings in Christchurch.

One of Christchurch's few tall apartment buildings, it was on the Christchurch City Council's "Dirty 30" list of buildings holding up the central city rebuild.[27] Repair work is complete in October 2020.

Implosion of Radio Network House, Latimer Square

Radio Network House was imploded after suffering damage in the Canterbury earthquakes. [28] The 14-storey building was demolished by 60kg of explosives. This was the first ever example of a controlled implosion of a building in New Zealand.[29]

The Rydges Latimer Hotel, Latimer Square with the Bloody Marys restaurant

The Latimer Lodge was one of the first hotels to be redeveloped after the Canterbury earthquakes costing an estimated $25 million dollars. The foundations designed to withstand future earthquakes took about 14 weeks to complete and required about 900 cubic metres of concrete[30] The Latimer Lodge rebranded as a Rydge's Hotel. It has an estimated 138 rooms.[31]