On February 22, 2011, a major earthquake struck the South Island of New Zealand. The City of Christchurch was near the epicentre of the quake, and many older Victorian and Edwardian buildings in the CBD were severely damaged as a result.
Nearly six years later, the City is still in the process of demolition and rebuilding. A few of the older buildings are being restored, but much of the CBD remains clustered with gravelled parking lots amid the streets and construction sites.
Some of the new architecture is a stark minimalist solution, especially when compared with the older buildings. No doubt, the new buildings are more seismically resistant, but something has been lost in the transformation.
The following images illustrate the process of transition in Christchurch. To see more photos of Christchurch, refer to my Flickr website.
Nick Watkins 