Victoria Mansions is a residential Category II heritage building in central Christchurch, New Zealand.

Heathcote Helmore Heathcote George Helmore (1 May 1894 – 21 May 1965) was a notable New Zealand architect. Early life Helmore was born in Rangiora, New Zealand, in 1894, the eldest child of Christchurch-born solicitor and former national rugby representativ ...

had the commission in 1931 to design the building; he designed in

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

as was fashionable at the time. In March 1935, Victoria Mansions Limited was formed to undertake the development. They expected to pay

NZ£ The pound (symbol £, £NZ. for distinction) was the currency of New Zealand from 1840 until 1967, when it was replaced by the New Zealand dollar. Like the pound sterling, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (abbreviation s or /) each of 12 pen ...

2,800 for the land and NZ£18,000 for the building. Located immediately south of the

Victoria Clock Tower The Victoria Clock Tower, also known as the Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower, is a heritage-registered clock tower located in Christchurch, New Zealand. Designed by Benjamin Mountfort, it is registered as a "Historic Place – Category I" by the New ...

, the land had three street frontages: to the north (Salisbury Street), to Montreal Street, and to Victoria Street. Construction started in June 1935, with five apartments on each floor, plus a single rooftop apartment, making 21 apartments in total. A small restaurant was attached on the Victoria Street frontage, with adjacent garages. Apartments were ready for occupation in May 1936. Reflections, Rust and Towers

The building was damaged in the February

2011 Christchurch earthquake A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...

and has since stood empty. The adjoining restaurant was demolished after the earthquakes. In 2020, it was announced that the building will be restored, and a fifth storey added for two rooftop penthouses.

Notable occupiers

Henry Cotterill Henry Cotterill (1812 – 16 April 1886) was an Anglican bishop serving in South Africa in the second half of the 19th century. From 1872 until death he was a bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Edinburgh. Early life Cotterill was ...

(1855–1943), of Duncan Cotterill (law firm); from 1936

References

{{Christchurch earthquakes Buildings and structures in Christchurch NZHPT Category II listings in Canterbury, New Zealand Christchurch Central City 1930s architecture in New Zealand Residential buildings completed in 1936 Art Deco architecture in New Zealand