An exclusive Christchurch apartment complex will be urgently demolished after suffering major damage in recent earthquakes.
Engineering checks of the six Terrace on the Park apartment buildings on Thursday revealed two buildings had critical structural damage from the December 23 aftershocks, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority operations general manager Warwick Isaacs says.
However, all of the buildings in the complex will be demolished.
Mr Isaacs says the demolition process will begin on Friday, under earthquake legislation which allows for urgent demolition when buildings are identified as having damage that poses a risk of loss of life or serious injury.
Parts of neighbouring Park Terrace and Salisbury Street will be cordoned off for several weeks for the demolition work to be completed.
While the apartment complex has been empty for some time, Mr Isaacs says the risk of the buildings collapsing in another quake means at least four neighbours will also have to leave their homes until the demolition is complete.
CERA engineers visited those properties on Thursday afternoon.
The complex, built in 1999, was billed as "the most exclusive apartments to rent on the banks of the River Avon and overlooking Hagley Park".
NZN