ChristChurch Cathedral, Christchurch 3.32

ChristChurch Cathedral, a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city, surrounded by Cathedral Square. It became the cathedral seat of the Bishop of Christchurch in the New Zealand tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.Repeated earthquakes have damaged the building (mostly the spire) in the course of its history: in 1881, 1888, 1901, 1922, and September 2010. The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake destroyed the spire and part of the tower, and severely damaged the structure of the remaining building. The remainder of the tower was demolished in March 2012. The west wall suffered collapses in the June 2011 earthquake and the December 2011 quake due to a steel structure – intended to stabilise the rose window – pushing it in. The Anglican Church has decided to demolish the building and replace it with a new structure – a decision which has become controversial in post-quake Christchurch. Various groups have opposed the church's intentions, with actions including taking a case to court. While the judgements have mostly been in favour of the church, no further demolition has occurred since the removal of the tower in early 2012. Government expressed its concern over the stalemate in mid-2015 and by September 2015 had appointed an independent negotiator. In late December 2015, the announcement was made that all parties had agreed with the negotiator's report, which means that the Anglican church hierarchy will for the first time consider reinstatement of the building. After further delays, the Mayor of Christchurch urged the government in 2017 to take the building off the Anglican church and restore it as a last resort.