Lyttelton Times Building, Chicago School architecture building in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Lyttelton Times Building stood at 56 Cathedral Square in Christchurch, designed by Sidney and Alfred Luttrell and completed in 1904. It was the tallest structure in the square apart from the ChristChurch Cathedral tower. Its Chicago School facade had load-bearing walls rather than a steel frame, and it was the first use of that style in Christchurch.
The building was completed in 1904 by architects Sidney and Alfred Luttrell and served as headquarters for the Lyttelton Times newspaper. After decades as a center of press activity, it eventually lost its original purpose and was repurposed for other uses until the 2011 earthquake brought about its destruction.
The building shows how American design trends shaped New Zealand's urban architecture in the early 1900s and reflected the commercial ambitions of the city's newspaper industry. It represents a moment when Christchurch looked outward and tried to establish itself as a modern, forward-thinking city.
The building stood at 56 Cathedral Square, in the same quadrant as The Press Building and Warner's Hotel. It was demolished in 2011 following the February earthquake, so there is no structure to visit; the site lies within Christchurch's central city rebuild zone.
The building was registered as Category I heritage status under registration number 7216, one of the highest protection classifications in New Zealand. This status reflected how much the nation valued its architectural features as nationally important for cultural history.
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