Cathedral Square in Central Christchurch is the historic centre of Christchurch / Ōtautahi and is home to the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral. The square is within the intersection of Colombo Street and Worcester Street. Although called a "square," Cathedral Square has a cruciform shape.
The square was initially intended to be named Ridley Square after the Protestant martyr Nicholas Ridley. However, Edward Jollie's plan for central Christchurch designated it Cathedral Square. Two other nearby squares in the original city design are named after Ridley's co-martyrs, Cranmer and Latimer. The fourth, Victoria Square, is named for Queen Victoria. The square was initially planned to house Christ's College and the cathedra, but the college was built next to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.
The square is for pedestrians, although the tram passes through it. Te Pae (convention centre) and Turanga (the library) are on the square's north side, with the Spark Building on the south side. The cathedral is on the southeast corner, facing east in line with Worcester Street, with the historic Post Office building on the southwest corner. There are empty spaces on the west side awaiting post-earthquake redevelopment.
The square suffered significant damage in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The Gothic revival cathedral, built between 1864 and 1904, was severely damaged, along with surrounding buildings, statues, and the tiling around the square. The square is now fully accessible, although the cathedral is still being repaired, which could take considerable time. A fence surrounds it, but you can see the work in progress and large panels that describe the reconstruction and encourage donations!
Aside from the cathedral, the Godley statue, the Citizens War Memorial, and the Chalice are significant features of the square. The statue of John Godley, the city's founder, was unveiled in 1867 opposite the cathedral. It was the first public statue in New Zealand. After WWI, several ideas for war memorials were proposed for the city. Prominent businessman George Gould proposed a column opposite the cathedral. The local Anglican elite supported the idea, but the City Council opposed it. Instead, the Bridge of Remembrance was chosen and unveiled in 1924. In 1933, Gould tried again, promoting the memorial as "an emblem of peace rather than war." As the landowner, the Anglican Church agreed if a cross was included in the design. This, plus the romanticised figures, make it unique amongst NZ war memorials. George Hart and sculptor William Trethewey designed the Citizens' War Memorial. It was unveiled in June 1937, just in time for WWII.
The Chalice, a sizeable modern sculpture in the form of an inverted cone dedicated to the millennium, was added in 2001. Neil Dawson designed the sculpture, which consists of 42 leaf patterns featuring different plants.
Walking around the square, you will see other additions following earthquake repairs on the square and nearby Hereford Street. There is a large kowhai and silvereye mural (2017) by Brandon Warrell called "Rise from Rubble". Other attractive artistic works point to historic Māori connections.
