Government Life Building Demoliton

The last building that needs to be demolished in the Cathedral Square at the centre of Christchurch is the Government Life building. It was built in the 1960s as the office of an insurance company. This was the time before computers, when insurance companies employed large numbers of clerical workers to manage their records.  It also housed some government offices.

When the various tenants moved out, the building sat empty for a long time. It needed refurbishment that seemed to be unaffordable. The building was damaged during the earthquake and is now being demolished.

The black thing on the top of the building is an excavator that was lifted their by the crane. It will be used to break up the floors, so they can be craned to the ground. The building contains asbestos that has to be removed, so it is being sheathed in a plastic cover to make sure that air is not contaminated.