Christchurch CBD - Photographic Tour Two Years after Earthquake

A walk through Christchurch CBD in late February 2013 revealed that while many buildings have been demolished, there are still dozens more to come down. Wide open spaces bear testimony to the loss the city has sustained but there are also signs of progress and the rebuild that is underway. Follow this photographic tour to see Christchurch central two years after the devastating 6.3 earthquake on February 22nd 2011.

Views of Christchurch central from Cashel Mall. These pictures were taken through the fence that secures the Red Zone which is still inaccessible to the public.

Cashel Mall is home to the Restart Shipping Container Mall. The majority of buildings in this part of Cashel St have been demolished and a number of people lost their lives here in the February 2011 earthquake. The Restart Mall is expected to be in place for a couple of years and has become a tourist attraction in the city. Shops include fashion stores, souvenir outlets, coffee shops, shoe shops and speciality food stores.

Vacant land at the end of Cashel Mall is now used as parking areas. It was originally home to  a row of restaurants and the DTZ building.

Across the city in the area around Latimer Square, the construction of the Cardboard Cathedral is underway. This is to be a temporary church to replace Christchurch Cathedral which sustained severe damage through the ongoing earthquakes. The Cardboard Cathedral is being erected on the site of St John's Church that was demolished following the February 2011 earthquake. In the same area, a fence around the site of the CTV building that collapsed claiming dozens of lives is adorned with floral memorials. A Gapfiller site nearby consists of white chairs.