The public has been given a closer look this weekend at Christchurch’s quake-damaged cathedral.
Residents have been granted access to the site, which remains under restoration 11 years on from the earthquake, as part of an architecture tour run by Open Christchurch.
The Anglican cathedral is one of 41 buildings included in the tour.
People will be able to go inside the fence blocking the iconic building from view.
“It’s really special for Christchurch to see it coming alive again,” one woman said.
“It’s such a huge job. I never thought it would be possible," another added.
“It’s good to get back and see the old girl,” one man said.
Project director Keith Patterson said It was left in ruins after the natural disaster, with its spire and the upper portion of the tower destroyed.
“It actually performed pretty well in the earthquake, really. It could’ve been a lot worse – it is an unreinforced masonry building,” he said.
Work started two years ago, and the focus has been making sure the site is safe to be on. There’s still another eight months to go until that work is complete.
“There’s about eight different pieces of the puzzle for that particular activity and they’ve all got to come together, joining up effectively to hold up the bits of the damaged building,” Patterson said.
The rubble, along with any treasures inside, will be cleared out in the next few months, and then strengthening work can start.
Architectural historian Jenny May said the cathedral will be the first of its kind to have what’s called base isolation.
“Base isolation is where you are basically isolating the foundations so that in an earthquake, the building will move as a complete building rather than the earth shaking the building,” she said.
The resurrection of the city’s famous church is expected to be completed in 2027.
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