1900–1979 Manchester Courts, earlier known as the MLC Building, was the city's first commercial high-rise building. Built in 1905–1906 for the New Zealand Express Company, it was at the time the tallest commercial building in Christchurch. A Category I heritage building since 1991, The
BNZ Building in
Cathedral Square has one of the oldest histories of the buildings listed here, as it replaced the earlier BNZ Building from 1866. The replacement was begun in 1961 as a four-storey building designed by Christchurch architect G. W. Bucknell. Work ceased abruptly in 1963, when the bank announced that they would redevelop the whole site (which included the removal of the historic bank building) and incorporate the four-storey building into the high-rise. The high-rise was designed by
Sydney firm Stephenson and Turner and completed in 1967.
1980–1999 Throughout the 1980s Christchurch saw a high-rise boom, with some of the cities tallest, and most recognisable, buildings constructed during this period.
Notable structures include: Hotel Grand Chancellor, was completed in 1986, and at the time held the title of tallest building. Rising to , the 26-storey hotel suffered critical structural failure following the 2011 earthquakes and was subsequently demolished shortly after.
Clarendon Tower, designed by
Warren and Mahoney, was constructed during 1986/87 on the site of the former Clarendon Hotel. It retained most of the historic hotel's façade, which was the first example of
facadism in Christchurch. The 17-storey structure failed in the February 2011 earthquake, with the internal staircases collapsing and the building 'ballooning' in the middle by some .
Forsyth Barr Building (now
Crowne Plaza Hotel) is one of only two high-rise structure of those constructed throughout this period which still remain. The 19-storey tower is now the second-tallest building in Christchurch. After suffering staircase collapse in the earthquakes, The building was sold "as is where is" in August 2014 to a local consortium who have since repaired and converted it into a hotel.
Radio Network House, a 14-storey building in Worcester Street was completed in 1986. Following the earthquakes it was
imploded on 5 August 2012 and was New Zealand's first ever controlled building demolition by explosives. Also constructed during this time were the
Westpac Canterbury Centre, PricewaterhouseCoopers centre, and the
Centra Building.
2000–2010 The 2000s saw continued high-rise development across the city, with many buildings having been constructed during this time still remaining.
Notable structures include: Pacific Tower, rising , is the city's tallest building. Following the earthquakes, it was repaired and reopened on 1 May 2013 and currently houses the Fable Hotel.
Club Tower, designed by Weirwalker Architecture in Worcester Boulevard, which first opened in 2009. This was the first high-rise to open again after the February 2011 earthquake, with the first tenants moving back in on 30 May 2011. The
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority later moved into the top floors of the building, with CEO
Roger Sutton's office the "highest office in town".
Novotel Hotel at Cathedral Square was completed in 2010. Rising 15-storeys, it was repaired following the earthquakes and reopened on 19 August 2013. Also constructed during this time were the Gallery Apartments, Victoria Square Tower, and Oxford Apartments.
2011–present High-rise construction following the 2010/2011 earthquakes has largely been blocked due to height-limits imposed by the Christchurch City Council. Buildings were restricted to , unless a structure which exceeded this height had previously stood on the site. In the decade following 2011, only two buildings standing above have been constructed, with a further three currently under construction. In September 2024, Council voted to remove height restrictions within certain areas of the CBD, and loosened requirements surrounding the need for developers to apply for resource consent. This was in response to the central governments push for the development of intensive housing. As of September 2024, there are currently two active proposals to develop buildings standing taller than and numerous more which, while inactive, have yet to be officially cancelled. ==Lists==