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Arthur Young House

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Coordinates: 43°31′39″S 172°38′18″E / 43.5274°S 172.6382°E / -43.5274; 172.6382
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Arthur Young House
The building in June 2014, prior to demolition
Map
Alternative namesErnst & Young building
General information
TypeCommercial
Architectural styleChristchurch Style
Address227 Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch
Coordinates43°31′39″S 172°38′18″E / 43.5274°S 172.6382°E / -43.5274; 172.6382
Year(s) built1984–1985
Opened5 July 1985
DemolishedJuly 2014
CostNZ$2M (approximately)
OwnerMethodist Church of New Zealand
Technical details
Floor count7
Design and construction
Architect(s)Charles Thomas
Architecture firmCharles R. Thomas & Associates
Structural engineerTyndall and Hanham
Main contractorDon Forbes Construction

Arthur Young House (later known as the Ernst & Young building) was an office building in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It was designed for the New Zealand Methodist Trust Association by architect Charles Thomas, in the brutalist Christchurch style.

Arthur Young House was constructed in the mid-1980s on Cambridge Terrace, on the site of the former Methodist Church, which had burned down in an arson attack in 1982. The New Zealand Methodist Trust rented out much of the building to private firms.

In February 2011, the building was damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes and subsequently demolished.

Construction and design

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Arthur Young House was built during 1984 and 1985 for the Methodist Church of New Zealand.[1][2] The site had been owned by the Christchurch Methodist Central Mission, and was mainly occupied by Cambridge Terrace Church. It was destroyed in 1982 following an arson attack.[3][2] The New Zealand Methodist Trust Association chose to build the office block on the site, intending for the rental profits to be used on community projects.[1]

The building was architecturally designed by Charles Thomas through his firm, Charles R. Thomas & Associates. Structural engineering work was undertaken by Tyndall and Hanham, and it was built by Don Forbes Construction. The total cost was estimated to be approximately NZ$2M.[1]

The building was seven storeys, comprising six floors of office space; five of the floors were 650 m2 (7,000 sq ft) each, and the top floor was 740 m2 (8,000 sq ft).[4] The exterior used white glass-reinforced concrete panels, a relatively novel approach at the time,[5] with tinted glass windows and bronze aluminium, and balconies that wrapped around the building.[4] The ground floor had 20 covered car parks and 16 additional parking spaces on site, with landscaped grounds to complement the riverside location.[2] The interior entrance had walls and floor clad in Italian and Tākaka marble, respectively.[4]

A poll published in 1987 by The Press found that Christchurch residents generally liked the design of the building, in contrast to some other projects in the city during the high-rise boom.[6]

History

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The building was formally opened on 5 July 1985 by the mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, in a ceremony attended by a number of businesspeople.[7][2][8]

The Methodist Church leased much of the office space to other firms, particularly financial companies.[9][10] It was named Arthur Young House after one of its primary tenants, Arthur Young, an chartered accountants firm that originally operated on the sixth floor.[10][11][2] The first floor was also used for seminars and public events.[12][13]

From 2006 until its demolition, Arthur Young House was owned by a family trust, including Hilton Smith.[14] In its later years, the building was colloquially known as Ernst & Young House; this is not to be confused with a building of the same name on Kilmore Street, which was also demolished.[15]

Arthur Young House was located next to the PGC Building, which collapsed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Several people who worked in Arthur Young House received bravery awards after helping those at the collapsed building.[14]

Demolition

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Arthur Young House in March 2011, with the collapsed PGC building adjacent

Arthur Young House was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The property was estimated to cost NZ$11M to repair, plus re-levelling at a further cost of NZ$2.7M. The owners allegedly made a mistake in their insurance policy renewal, filed in November 2010 following the Canterbury earthquake in September, by failing to include an "undamaged foundations" extension, causing a dispute with the insurer.[16]

The building was considered uneconomic to repair, but also was subject to compulsory acquisition as part of a plan to redevelop the inner-city to a master plan dubbed "The Frame".[17] Consequently, Arthur Young House was demolished in June and July 2014.[18][19] The demolition project was undertaken by Shilton & Brown.[14]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 227 Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch.
  1. ^ a b c "Builders start on church site". The Press. 17 July 1984. p. 21. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Striking addition to skyline Chch firm traces back to 1905". The Press. 5 July 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Church properties arson trial". The Press. 29 June 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "New material will defy the years". The Press. 5 July 1985. p. 9. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Glass-reinforced concrete". The Press. 6 July 1985. p. 5. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  6. ^ "No glass towers in city, says Chch poll". The Press. 30 January 1987. p. 5. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Arthur Young House, the new seven-storey office building in Cambridge Terrace, which will be formally opened this evening by the Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay". The Press. 5 July 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  8. ^ "The changing face of Chch in 1985". The Press. 28 December 1985. p. 23. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  9. ^ "Page 16 Advertisements Column 3". The Press. 20 November 1985. p. 16. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Accountants merger on". The Press. 31 August 1989. p. 40. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  11. ^ "WELLINGTON: THURSDAY, 26 MARCH 1987" (PDF). The New Zealand Gazette (38): 61. 26 March 1987.
  12. ^ "Page 41 Advertisements Column 2". The Press. 22 April 1987. p. 41. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Page 27 Advertisements Column 1". The Press. 26 February 1987. p. 27. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "Ernst & Young makes way". The Press. 10 July 2014. pp. A7. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Demolished office site fetches $3m". The Post. 6 November 2012. pp. B9.
  16. ^ "Christchurch High Court Earthquake Litigation List" (PDF). Ngā Kōti o Aotearoa Courts of New Zealand. 8 August 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  17. ^ "Notice of Intention to Take Land For The Frame - North and Part of East-Christchurch City - 2012-ln7516- New Zealand Gazette". gazette.govt.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  18. ^ Rodgers, Jane (27 July 2014). "Ernst & Young demolition". Originally uploaded by Jane Rodgers to discoverywall.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Demolition of the Ernst & Young building, Cambridge Terrace |..." discoverywall.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
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