Further damage by last Monday’s earthquake in Christchurch may result in
at least partial demolition of both the Anglican and Catholic
cathedrals.
The previous earthquake on 22nd February killed more than
150 people.
The catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, which is more than
100 years old, was further undermined in the tremor of more than 6
magnitude and arches supporting its surviving copper-clad dome were
damaged.
This was one of two matching domes that which gave the building
it’s unique style.
Engineers are assessing the building and how to
proceed with restoration, but it may be some time before its fate is
finally known.
In a message Barry Jones, Bishop of Christchurch stated: “Peace be
with you. This is the Lord's own greeting, and we are in need of the
gift of his peace as we come to terms with two more major earthquakes
and the stress and uncertainty they have brought into our lives.
Buildings have been further damaged, including our Cathedral of the
Blessed Sacrament, but no lives have been lost.”
The New Zealand bishops issued a press release which stated they have
had to change strategies on how to remove the main dome.
“The
additional damage has also meant we will probably have no choice but to
demolish the rear portion of the building,” they state.
“Until the
earthquakes on Monday, the plan had been to remove the dome in one
piece, but further damage to areas supporting the dome have further
weakened the building's integrity.”
The dome and supporting structure will be removed to window ledge
level piece-by-piece.
Started on Monday June 20 the work should take
approximately six weeks.
Then the concrete ring beam immediately below
the dome can be removed but strategies for this work have yet to be
decided.
Demolition of the rear portion of the building has also to be
planned and further assessment is needed on the south transept which has
moved further in recent after shocks and may need to be propped.
The 130-year-old Anglican cathedral's huge stained-glass rose window
shattered in the latest tremor.
Bishop Victoria Williams said the
cathedral, a symbol of the South Island city, was structurally
compromised when its western wall toppled Monday.
"We know some of it will have to come down because of the damage, but
whether we have to take the whole thing down is still a live question,"
she told the Christchurch Press.
The stained glass panels and ornate surrounding stonework, lie
shattered and broken at the foot of the steel bracing, placed in hope,
to be its saviour. The west wall, where the window looked strongly out
into Cathedral Square is itself almost gone.
“Only 25 pe cent remains.
We do know that the 5.5 and 6.0 earthquakes have further seriously
damaged the building. An update on the extent of that damage will be
posted when it comes to hand,” the Anglican bishops said in a statement.