Crowne Plaza, Christchurch 3.52

The Crowne Plaza in Christchurch, New Zealand, originally known as the Parkroyal Hotel, was a hotel of the Crowne Plaza group. Built in 1988 in the north-west corner of Victoria Square after much public protest, as it cut off the first part of Victoria Street, its construction happened at the same time and enabled the substantial redesign of Victoria Square. The building had New Zealand's largest attrium, and was one of the city's largest hotels. The building suffered significant damage in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and was demolished in April 2012. The Crowne Plaza group has secured a lease in the Forsyth Barr Building at the opposite end of Victoria Square.HistoryBritish town planner Gordon Stephenson was commissioned to find an appropriate location for major civic assets in the Christchurch Central City; the city had never had a municipally-owned town hall, and it was in need of new civic offices, with the Civic running out of room. His 1962 report recommended the northern part of Victoria Square for the Christchurch Town Hall, and the north-western corner for the new civic offices. This required the closure of the south-eastern section of Victoria Street that ran through Victoria Square, something that was confirmed in Christchurch City Council's 1965 planning document Traffic in a New Zealand City from 1965. The Town Hall opened in 1972.