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The demolition of one of Christchurch’s most notorious abandoned landmarks is well under way.
Antonio Hall has stood empty for 15 years, but now the 1.5ha property at 265 Riccarton Rd is finally being cleared to make way for a purpose-built 450-bed student accommodation village.
Site preparation and demolition started in June, ending years of uncertainty over the future of a building that became synonymous with decay, suspected arson attacks and failed redevelopment plans.
The project follows Christchurch City Council’s decision last year to remove Antonio Hall’s heritage protection after determining the century-old building had deteriorated beyond practical repair.
Mainland Capital plans to replace the ruins with a low-rise student village centred on landscaped courtyards, pedestrian laneways and shared community spaces.
Just 700m from Canterbury University, the development will provide more than 450 beds for second-year, postgraduate and international students, catering for what the company says is a gap between first-year university halls and the private rental market.
A central communal pavilion will include study areas, games rooms, event space and shared social facilities.
The wider development will also feature courtyard gardens, outdoor seating, parcel lockers and electric ride-share facilities.
The once-grand heritage mansion has stood vacant since suffering extensive damage in the 2011 earthquake.
nal pavilion will include study areas, games rooms, event space and shared social facilities.
Originally built between 1904 and 1909 as a grand residence for successful seed merchant Thomas Kincaid, the mansion later became a Catholic seminary before operating as Campion Hall student accommodation.
It was sold to the Luisetti family in 1980, renamed Antonio Hall in memory of their late son, and operated as a boarding house and reception venue.
The property was sold to Wellstar Co. in 1993, but repeated plans to convert it into a motel never eventuated.
Antonio Hall was ravaged by major suspicious fires in 2019, 2021 and again in 2024, with constant break-ins and vandalism hastening its decline.
Construction of the student village will be completed in two stages, with the first residents expected to move in for the start of the 2028 academic year.
