On loan from the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
Tiles from the Dome of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
Before the earthquakes, Christchurch was known for its numerous well-preserved heritage buildings. Many of these buildings suffered serious damage in the earthquakes.
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Barbadoes Street was designed by Francis Petre and built in 1905 using funds raised by Christchurch’s Catholic community.
The basilica was damaged in the 4 September earthquake. Repair work was underway when the 22 February earthquake hit, causing the collapse of the facade and its two bell towers as well as serious structural damage.
When engineers assessed the building, they realised the large copper-roofed dome over the sanctuary was in danger of collapse. It was removed in pieces by a 400 tonne crane.
These tiles, with their exquisite fleur-de-lis motif, were on one of the two bell towers and can now be seen up close for the first time in over 100 years.
In 2019, the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch decided to demolish the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and build a new cathedral on another site. Demolition began in 2020.